As the Gods Fall
by Avianice
Summary: It's a secret game the gods must play. A challenge, a desperate bid for death. As they begin to find their lights, they threaten to reveal the hidden truth behind their prison. Akuroku, slash DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I'm not making any money from this, etc. We all know the drill. :)**

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Chapter One

Like ice.

Swelling forward, across pale sands, just barely catching the tips of my fingers.

Cold, a biting warning of the storm to come.

A chilled breeze swept across my face, my back, my legs. A golden flash, quick and bright, made me blink. I waited. One second. Two seconds. The thick, dark skies above let loose a bellowing rumble, and a flock of seagulls burst into a panic, screeching and fluttering through the wind, seeking a safer place. Feathers drifted down, spinning and sailing toward me. A drop of rain hit the nape of my neck, and I sighed, pushing myself onto my knees and brushing the gritty sand off of my shirt.

This weather wasn't exactly the best to be out in, and I knew I shouldn't have come in the first place. The temptation, however, was irresistible. This was the last day before preparations for the summer festival began, and once tomorrow arrived, there would be noise and people bustling around everywhere, giving everyone else more tasks. I felt that I needed to appreciate the peace before it was taken away for the next two weeks. It would've been a lot easier if Demyx hadn't chosen today to throw a storm at us. I fingered the small water drop charm hanging loosely around my neck, wondering if the god wasn't just being an asshole. As much as everybody preached otherwise, I couldn't help but envision the deity with more of a personality. They'd swear up and down that he was divine, incomprehensible to us mere mortals, but I knew he did this sort of thing just to laugh at us all.

Lightning flashed again.

Larxene must have been in on it. She had to be a bit of a sadist, because the worst storms always came at the most inconvenient times, so she was surely right next to Demyx, enjoying our misery. Damn gods.

I slowly got up onto my feet, knowing I'd be soaked by the time I got home, so there was no point in trying to hurry anyway. The sand was cool on the bottom of my feet, and only slightly hard to walk on. With each step toward the nearby town, little pools of water sprung up, and sank back down every time I moved on, until I finally reached the wooden steps leading up to the sightly raised expanse of land, which I called my home.

Nobody else was outside. Everything was silent, but for the crying of the gulls, and the sharp pattering of rain on the ground. There was a quiet blowing of wind, too, but it struggled to be heard over the other noises. The soft, barely audible slap of flesh on wood marked my rhythmic journey down the road to my house.

This town... it was called Destiny. Built right by the sea, with our own little sandy opening in the rocky cliffs that lined the connection of ocean and land, we were quite comfortably settled here. The town itself was small, and was often missing from maps of the island it was located on. Luckily, though, it was only about 10 or 15 miles away from a small city, and on horseback, the ride there was really quite pleasant. Once in that city, Twilight Town, they called it, the major city of Midgar was another 15 or 20 miles. Overall, the trip there was alright. It wasn't as long as it might've been, at least.

I ran a hand through my already wet hair, shaking out a few droplets, and noticed that, in the town center, the candles were lit inside of the Destiny Bakery. I could see my brother, Sora, and his friends, Kairi and Riku, laughing over a small plate of glazed buns. I hesitated, feeling tempted to join them, but I wasn't as close to them and I didn't really want to intrude. Before I moved on, though, Kairi glanced out the window and saw me. I waved sheepishly, and she smiled brightly at me, gesturing for me to come in.

Well... it certainly couldn't hurt to stop by for a little while.

I made my way over to the door, smiling at the tinkling of the small silver bell hung from the door, and was greeted happily by the three teenagers inside. Shaking my head to get some of the water off, I didn't enter too far, for fear of dirtying the clean floors. Kairi's mother liked having things in proper order, and she was like a dragon if anybody messed that up. I was not willing to be the one to cross her. She wasn't exactly fond of me. Sora and Riku were angels, of course, and if they got a little mud on the floor, well, it'd wipe right off.

If anybody else dared to, she'd insist that they spend the rest of the day cleaning it up and being damn careful about it too, because if they wiped at it like that it was bound to leave a nasty stain. I knew that from experience.

"Roxas, why in the world were you out in this weather?" Kairi giggled, tossing me a soft, blue towel from the counter. I grinned back at her, giving a nod of thanks as I started drying off a little better.

"I was enjoying the peace while it lasts," I replied. Sora rolled his eyes.

"It's storming outside. How is that peaceful?"

"Tomorrow's going to be worse. I just wanted to take advantage of the last day before preparations for the festival, y'know?" I shot back, sticking my tongue out. Sora tossed me a fresh, raisin roll in response, allowing me to make better use of my tongue.

"Anyway, you're heading back home, then, right?" My brother checked with me, shoving another bun in his mouth.

"Yeah. Why?"

"C'n oo pass on a m'ss'ge to Ma fer me?" he slurred around his food before swallowing. "Tell her I'm going to spend the night at Riku's place."

Riku gave Sora a startled glance. "Wait-"

"I'll be home tomorrow morning to help with the chores," the smaller brunet continued happily. I could tell that Riku hadn't invited him over, but he sighed and didn't object, so he was probably fine with it.

"Alright," I agreed. "But, uh, even with the towel, I'm dripping everywhere, so I should probably head home now anyway. Thank you for the food, Kairi!" I turned to leave, after Kairi and Sora had waved, but Riku stopped me.

"Hold on a minute, Roxas!" He called. I turned back around.

"Yes?"

"How's the sea?"

"Pretty choppy, but it's been plenty worse in the past. I'm sure your boat's fine."

Riku did a lot of fishing. Knowing him, it was a little strange, but he certainly had the patience to make it work, and without a family business to inherit or work for, like Kairi, Sora and I all did, it was a good way to get the money he needed. See, Riku was a mystery.

When we were all younger, probably about 6 or 7, Riku had just shown up out of the blue, in our little town. He was half-dead, hungry, dehydrated, and smelly. No one knew where he'd come from, or why he'd shown up here, and for a while he wouldn't talk at all. Most of us assumed he was mute. An older couple, living off of the land about a mile outside of Destiny, agreed to take him in. They were probably the ones who taught him how to fish as well as he did, and it's a good thing they did. He didn't seem to have any other useful talents, though he was fast and strong. In a little village, that wasn't so helpful. We were never attacked.

But still, even after he had been accepted and embraced by the rest of the town, he never did explain what had happened to him. He never claimed to have forgotten, either, he just refused to talk about it. I had a sneaking suspicion that Sora knew, but that kid also knew how to keep a secret. He would never tell a soul.

"Excellent. Thank you, Roxas. I'll see you around." Riku's voice brought me back to the present, and I smiled and waved goodbye to everyone before stepping back outside.

Come to think of it, the towel was completely useless, if the only reason I'd gone in was so that Sora could give me a message, and Riku could know if his boat was alright. I wasn't in there for very long, and drying off had really been pointless.

Of course... if any of the water had damaged the wooden floors, Kairi's mom would have...

I shuddered, and stopped thinking about it. The towel was definitely useful.

* * *

By the time I got to my house, which was only about a half-mile away from the town center, I was thoroughly soaked through, shivering and on the verge of sprinting across the muddy fields if it meant getting out of the rain any sooner. The day had become absolutely miserable, and I was doubting the wisdom of my decision to be outside for as long as I was. It wasn't unlikely that I'd catch a cold if I couldn't get warm and dry very soon.

Luckily, when I stepped inside, the fireplace was lit up and the smell of hot vegetable stew permeated the air. Pots and pans were clinking around in the kitchen, drawing attention to my mother's presence. I paused in the entranceway to the home, shutting the door as quietly as possible. My mother may not have been obsessive about her floors, but I knew she wouldn't be happy about my appearance and the mud that I'd tracked in.

Tiptoeing, I slowly worked my way to the bottom of the stairs. First step... success! No creak!

"Roxas, honey, do stop trying to sneak around."

How the hell did she do that? Crestfallen, I turned around and trudged back into the living room, waiting for her to leave the kitchen. As I waited, I tugged my shirt off and quickly wrapped a quilt around myself, settling by the fire.

I wasn't left alone for very long, as my mother came in with a dishrag, drying her hands. She paused. Her eyes, a rich, warm brown that seemed red sometimes, depending on the lighting, traveled down my shivering form, and to the shirt dripping on the floor. Slender hands tensed.

"Where have you been?" Her voice was deceptively quiet. It unnerved me, and I knew I'd never be used to how she contained all of her irritation. It made it hard to tell if it was annoyance or actual anger.

"Um... I've been... y'know... out." My explanation was weak, and I knew it. There wasn't any doubt in my mind.

"Out?" She confirmed, arching a brow at me. I smiled hesitantly, and nodded. "Well then. Dinner is almost ready, so get yourself cleaned up, alright?"

I wasn't in any trouble? Seriously? I peeked at my shirt, realizing that I should've attempted to pick it up instead of stupidly leaving it there. That she wasn't angry about it was surprising. "Sure, Mom. I'll, uh, I'll be right down." As I spoke, I backed up toward the stairs, snagging my shirt as I did so. When she just watched me, I turned and began to hop up the steps.

"And sweetie?" She called after me. I stopped and glanced back at her.

"Yeah?"

"When we're done eating, please clean all the floors, if you don't mind. I've already cleaned them, after all, and I'd hate to do it again," she noted, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes ever so slightly before adding, "That _would_ be a shame, wouldn't it?"

There. There it was. I knew it was coming. I chuckled sheepishly. "Sure thing. Wouldn't want you to clean more."

She hummed a bit in acknowledgment before strolling back to the kitchen. I sighed, making my way upstairs and cursing every bit of dirt that rubbed off on the floor. Without Dad here, and with Sora gone for the night, there was no one to distract her from my own misbehavior, so I had to be extra careful. She never missed anything.

My mind jumped back to my dad.

He had left this morning for Midgar, to earn us some extra money. As always, Mom gently teased about him heading to the city to catch up on the latest gossip, but I suspected something more sinister.

Before Sora and I were born, Dad was a run-away soldier, turned mercenary. He'd do just about any job if it put food on the table. He later settled down, as he got over whatever had driven him to escape, and started a delivery service in Midgar. He and Mom met when he came by her bar, Seventh Heaven, and they realized they'd grown up together in some backwoods town (even more backwoods than Destiny), and had found each other again. There was something about a rebellion and avalanches involved, but my information source had been discovered before he could get into detail about that. Oddly enough, rather than suspecting that Reno was exaggerating when he told me some of the stories, I wondered often if he was actually toning it down. Exactly who could my parents be? Their friends were weird enough...

Still, I was pretty sure that Dad was out in the city, doing something either dangerous or illegal (because why else would he refuse to tell his own kids what he was doing over there?). One day, I'd get it out of him.

I let myself imagine all the cool things I could probably learn from my father, as I shrugged into my nice, dry pajamas, and ruffled my hair until it was only damp.

After that, I made my way downstairs again. Dinner wasn't ready yet, it looked like, so I padded toward the small worship room built onto the side of our house. As I pushed the black curtain aside, a plume of smoke curled across my face. I coughed a bit before getting used to it. Mom had already lit the incense, it seemed, on two of the shrines. We didn't have shrines for all the gods, but we had a few, including ones for Demyx and Xaldin.

It was those two which were lit, and I found it appropriate. Demyx was the main god in Destiny and all the other seaside areas. Xaldin was the god of wind, travel, and roads, so his shrine was always paid more attention to when Dad was out doing whatever it was that he did. I knelt down and whispered a quick prayer.

I stayed there for a little bit, smelling the sweet, musky smoke, letting the light from the window trickle in weakly to illuminate some of the shrines. My favorite one to watch was Demyx's. It was almost like a vase, but the glass was finely shaped into swirls and curves and spikes, with a small bowl above dripping water into it. As the droplets slid down, they fell along all the curls and almost seemed to be dancing.

Out of all the designs, that one was the coolest. I'd heard that a few of the other traditional shrines were very interesting, but we didn't have any of those. Xemnas' was the nicest of all, befitting the king of gods, of course, but to be honest, I found it a little frightening. Dark black, shining like oil, shaped like a thorned, twisted heart. It reflected the myths of him ruling with an iron fist, harsh and cold, but with our best interests at heart.

"Roxas, dinner's ready! Come and get it!" Called Mom, with a few clanks that sounded like she was setting the table. I stood back up, bowed low, breathed in the incense one last time for the night, and hurried into the kitchen. There was food! Finally! I had skipped lunch, so my stomach had been growling a good bit.

Mom was pouring water into our cups, and the stew was already filling our bowls. I noticed a third bowl on the counter, waiting to be filled from the large pot keeping the food warm, and I remembered Sora's message. As I dropped into my seat, I spoke up.

"Sora said he wasn't going to be home tonight. He's staying at Riku's place," I informed, and my mother sighed lightly.

"Again? Well, alright. I do wish he'd give more warning sometimes. He's like his dad, the way he comes and goes without warning."

I gave her a funny look. "Dad doesn't do that," I reminded her. Her eyes widened a bit, and she giggled.

"He used to, all the time. I still expect to come downstairs some days and find him gone for who knows how long. I guess I just forget sometimes that he doesn't do it anymore." There was a subtle note of caution in her voice, and I had to wonder what that was about. What wasn't she telling me? I mean... was there something more to it than unexpected deliveries (because that's what my mind jumped to)? Maybe she was remembering all his super dangerous jobs that he supposedly never had. My eyes narrowed, and a hand lightly slapped my head.

"Don't glare at the stew," she scolded. "It's for eating." She moved to her side of the table and sat down, and we bowed our heads together for a quick, silent prayer of thanks.

Once finished, she tucked in to the meal, but I paused. Over in the corner... something... but there was no way. Because I would have noticed it before. Definitely. And where the hell would it have been hidden? This house didn't have many hiding places... that I knew of.

"Hey... Mom?"

She seemed to have detected the mystified tone in my voice, and she looked up, brushing her dark brown hair out of her eyes. "Yeah?"

I waved my spoon in the direction of the corner, and her gaze followed. Her eyes widened, and she cursed.

"Damn it, Cloud. How do you leave something like that behind?"

My jaw hung open. What.. the... hell.

"And now it's too dark to send anyone after you, and gods forbid I leave Roxas here alone or he'll destroy the place," she muttered to herself, shaking her head.

"M-Mom?"

"Eat your stew," she ordered. "_That_ can wait until tomorrow morning."

I couldn't stop staring at it, and I could've sworn I heard her mumble something under her breath along the lines of, 'you don't want your kids to know, and then go around leaving _that_ in the kitchen.'

A piece of carrot hit my cheek, but I paid it no mind until a spoon actually got shoved into my mouth, and I was choking on potatoes. "It's going to get cold," she scolded, but I really didn't give a damn about whether I could or couldn't breath, and whether the stew was warm or not.

There was a huge-ass _sword_ leaning against the wall, as big as I was.

"But Mom-"

"He uses it to chop down trees, that's all."

"_Nobody_ uses something like that to chop trees, Mom!"

"It's getting cold, Roxas!"

The prospect of cold stew was apparently supposed to be more concerning than the massive chunk of death that was only a few feet away from us.

Dad was just a delivery boy? No way in hell I'd ever believe _that_ story again.

* * *

_There is nothing divine about us. We are all nothing but puppets, hanging on thin strings. What we pursue is impossible. Yet, we refuse to believe that. It's our last chance of finding freedom. Our last hope.  
_

_I've been told that the remnants of ancient powers long-gone are at play. It is those that pull our strings, and suspend us between life and death. They left us here._

_They left us to die._

_But we can't._

_All we can do is play their freaking games, and waste our time trying to attain the unattainable. I don't know why this happened. Why to me? I was a good guy, you know? But everything got screwed up, and now I'm stuck in a never-ending game of sacrifices, and my prey calls me a god. They worship us all even as we hunt them down and use them for our hopeless ambitions._

_Fuck it all._

_Once upon a time, I thought it was wrong, taking advantage of these silly mortals the way we did. But as the years flew by, and I remained trapped, I realized that I shouldn't care. The humans are damn lucky,  
because they have something that we don't._

_An afterlife._

_So, what does it matter if I help them along to something so precious? They should be thanking me. And even if, sometimes, I feel like the shittiest guy in the world for doing what I have to do, I know it will all be worth it in the end. Earth can't contain me forever, in this state of being. I won't stop for anything, not until I can be somebody. Real people don't have to work so hard to pass on._

_Nobodies like me? We've got to fucking fight for that end._

_

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A/N: Welcome, dear readers, to my first attempt at writing fanfiction! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and now I've got a few things to say, just to get them out of the way!

1) I really, really, would love to get some reviews! Please? I mean, I've gotta know if even one person likes this story. I'm planning to always reply to reviews at the bottom of the following chapters. So again... please?  
2) I don't know if this chapter was too short or not. Sorry, if it was. :( But as I get more into the swing of things (after writing nothing but poetry, stories take a little getting used to) the chapters will get longer. If this is a good length, though, I can keep it and just have more chapters instead of longer ones. But I won't know unless you tell me, so please refer to #1. :D  
3) Like I said in the summary, this is rated for language. Chances are, violence will be the only other reason. But if I ever do get more bold (and you know what I mean ;D ), I'll warn you at the beginning of the chapter.  
4) I promise to never give up on this story. It will be completed. I might take a break or two, but if I do, I'll give warning, along with an actual date for the break to end, so it won't drag on too long.

And with that, I bid thee farewell for now! I hope you keep reading in the future. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I'm not making any money off of this story, etc. We know the drill. :)**

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Chapter Two

_Am I a sinner?_

_Am I a freak?_

_Long grass is crushed beneath the heels of my boots as I step forward, through the forest. A bright dandelion is flattened without care, and peeks out at me for a little bit, until I move my foot and it lifts up slightly. The stem is forever crippled, and it will never be straight again. Morning dew wets my cloak as the leaves brush over my arms and legs while I wander by, until they give way to a small meadow._

_It's a cute little space, y'know? Bright green grass, daisies and stuff everywhere, making it all nice and colorful. I stop when I'm a few feet in, and tilt my head back. I gaze at the orange and violet skies above, for a brief period, and soak in the atmosphere. The air is kinda chilly, but I know that it's going to get real hot today._

_Real fucking hot._

_I snap my head back down again, and my eyes land on a small cottage on the other side of the field. It's pretty damn quaint, with light blue shutters and yellow curtains, and a stone wall. I smirk. The stone wall is going to be real convenient. Keep the day's work confined to one space, and all that._

_I stroll casually toward the little home, but I stop again when I'm halfway there. A baby is crying inside, really wailing. Kid wants some attention, and isn't showing any signs of stopping. The other two residents don't seem to be awake. Maybe they're just really tired, and don't know that their little sunshine is in such a state of distress. Or maybe they are awake. Maybe they just don't give a damn. Either way, it doesn't really matter. Nothing matters anymore._

_Close my eyes... take a deep breath... and with a snap of my fingers..._

_Flames, bright and hot, burst forth, shattering the windows and licking up the sides of the small home. For a while, I can't hear too much. The crackling and popping of wood, the baby crying, and the birds shrieking and flapping about, escaping the heat. I begin to wonder if the parents aren't even in there. But then I hear it._

_A scream, long and loud and positively horrified._

_It's pretty damn loud, making me cringe and cover my ears._

_"Geez, lady," I mumble in irritation. "Calm the fuck down."_

_Easy to say when I'm not the one trapped in an inferno._

_Still... it's a good house. Good wood. It keeps burning for another few hours, and even I'm beginning to get bored by the time it finally has been reduced to ruins of ash and charred architecture. Once the last flames are out, I meander over and start to sift through the rubble._

_It takes a little while, and my hands are dark by the time I find them, but I discovered three bodies curled up, shriveled and blackened. Apparently, Mommy and Daddy wanted to keep the family together even in death. I sigh, and one by one, place two fingers on their bodies, bowing my head and murmuring,_

_"Vobis, tribuo nex immortalis."_

_Not really a blessing, but the work of a nobody. A guarantee for them to enter into their afterlife with perfect records. They slowly, softly, begin to turn into dust, which then sinks down into the ashes. But that is not their end. No, they have each left one thing behind them, and it is those things that I seek._

_My fingers brush away some more ash, until I find them. Two little stones, both a pale, pearly silver in color. Not bad, I can't help but grin. These were worth some. And the third... pure white. Excellent. As much as I prefer to avoid using infants and children for this, they were always worth quite a bit. They never have enough time to let their hearts be tainted. They never leave behind black stones..._

_I rub off the last bits of dirt on the pebbles, and slip them into a cloth bag hanging around my waist. They tap against the others. and I pull the strings shut so that nothing falls out._

_I've accomplished my goal of the week._

_Thirty dead, all pretty damn near white, and not a single stirring of the enemy.  
_

_Not too shabby._

* * *

I stared out the window through heavy, half-lidded eyes.

People were milling around, bustling about, laughing and chattering and shouting to each other as they carried boxes and armfuls of what looked like colorful trash. They were getting tangled up in ribbons and garlands, strings and drapes, and all sorts of decorations. Their children ran through the streets, giggling and shrieking as they stumbled in their pretty white dresses and baggy green shirts, rosy cheeks flushed with the excitement of youth. Hopping over the refreshed greenery, jumping in the mud... They all glowed in the morning sunlight, like cheerful, golden imps.

Oh, everyone was bright-eyed and fresh-faced so soon after the sun had risen, dancing through the stretching shadows and flickering in the light. They were all those lucky little assholes who could sleep.

They didn't have freaky dads like mine.

They didn't have to stay up through the entire night, trying to figure out exactly what he did that required some freaky-ass sword.

They didn't have to fret over how the hell anybody could lift a blade like that (because I knew I couldn't. I figured that out as soon as Mom had gone to bed.).

I did, though.

I couldn't get to sleep at all, the previous night. So many thoughts had been swirling through my mind, keeping me awake as the moon arched across the skies above, and my eyes had hardly been shut for an hour before Mom was up and about, pulling me out of bed, throwing clothes at me.

I had dressed, unquestioningly, in everything she gave me. I couldn't really think straight, and was puzzled by the traveling wardrobe, but I still didn't ask. She'd tell me in due time. But when I had plodded downstairs, smelling the heavenly aroma of fresh bacon, she didn't explain anything. She just pushed a plate of food in my hands and led me into town, disregarding the quickly-emptied plate on a tree stump, saying she'd get it on her way home and we needed to hurry up if I wanted a bed to sleep in.

This was all very uncharacteristic of her, so I started waking up pretty quickly. My normally patient mother was in quite the rush, and... well...

She was carrying the sword with her. It was well-wrapped, so it wasn't cutting into her or anything, but I began to feel a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. Whatever she was doing, it wasn't going to be fun for me. I was pretty sure about that. And really, it didn't take a genius to figure it out. Mom wanted me to bring the weapon to my dad, and this little outing was surely preparation. So I wasn't very surprised when we showed up at the blacksmith's house, asking to borrow his horse for the day.

That's how I came to be sitting in front of the window, staring out in boredom as my mother tried to work something out with him. Apparently, his horses were both preoccupied with festival preparations, and he really just didn't think he could spare one. Secretive as this whole thing was, the brunette couldn't quite explain to him _why_ she needed a horse so badly, and had to resort to bribery.

"We'll pay you. Half of what Cloud brings home, we'll give to you, alright?"

"How much is that?"

"Well... it varies. But it's always enough to rent three horses at least, so you will be plenty compensated for the day."

An obnoxious sigh had me rolling my eyes. "I don't know, Tifa. Sure, it covers renting costs, but think of how much less will get done for the festival. Get what I mean?"

I turned around, curiosity aroused by a sudden silence. Mom's glove was out. Oh shit. And she was putting it on.

Oh, he was screwed.

I had only every seen her use the glove one other time, when she had caught a thief in our house who had hoped to take advantage of the absence of any men (being 9 at the time, Sora and I didn't count). She had a mean right swing. Her strength, though not often employed, was an asset at any time, especially times like this. People here knew about it. Rumors circulated. They might have been exaggerated, but they served her well. The blacksmith paled and held up his hands.

"Alright, alright! I dunno what your problem is, but you can have the damn horse. Go on, take Cinna. She's the brown one, and she's real strong, a good runner. Just bring her back in good condition!"

Mom smiled sweetly. "Oh, thank you so much, Jon. I promise we'll take great care of her!" She gestured for me to follow as she left the house, pausing briefly to chirp, "Have a lovely day!"

The door slammed shut behind us, and I sat down next to where Mom laid the sword as she went looking for Cinna. I pinched my hands a few times, trying to wake myself up a little bit better. The brightness of the day was working pretty well already, though the warmth threatened to counteract any light, and so I kind of lolled around, half-aware of the world around me until I was snapped back to reality, to find that my mother had already saddled the horse, and secured the sword to its side. I mentally praised the beast for carrying a burden like that.

I pushed myself onto my feet, letting some more energy flow into me from the movement, and swung myself onto the large horse with the help of my mom. I got a good grip on the reins, and Mom began to explain.

"I'm sure you've already figured it out, but you've got to find your father. He's probably in Midgar already, but he might have stopped by Twilight Town, so do check there. If he is in Midgar, try to be quick. We don't have the spare money to let you spend a night there, and it's hard to travel there and back again in one day. So just hurry, alright?"

"Mom," I sighed. "Why won't you just tell me what's up? Why does Dad need the sword?"

"I've already told you. He needs to chop wood."

"I think he's an assassin. Or maybe, maybe he's still part of that rebellion."

"Dilly dally shilly shally. You're wasting daylight, Roxas."

With that, she smacked the horse and set it off, and I decided that it wasn't worth the effort to argue, instead letting the beast trot toward the road to Twilight Town. A little past that town, the road met up with the main route to Midgar, which I usually took whenever I went over.

Getting more comfortable in the saddle, I wondered if I'd have time to hang out with my friends a little bit. The three of them lived in Twilight Town, so I could see them if I wanted to, but it wasn't as often as I'd like, and it was nice to be able to take some time to visit every once in a while. Besides, Pence's dad made this awesome treat that he called "sea salt ice cream", and no one knew how he managed to keep it frozen, but he did, and it was delicious. It was amazing. Nearly nobody even realized that it existed, and I kind of liked it that way. More for my friends and I.

Cinna snorted, and I realized we'd gotten out of the main area in town. If I wanted any time to hang out, I'd need to hurry up. I dug my heels in, flicked the reins, and she burst into a gallop.

* * *

A petite figure strolled down the wide road, picnic basket in hand, wearing a simple white summer dress, and matching sandals. Her light blonde hair was soft and straight, falling a bit past her shoulders. Wide blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and a small smile rested on her lips. There was a certain fragility about her, an unspoken sweetness. She reached up with her free hand and tucked some of her hair behind one ear.

She walked alone, down that road, with the rustling trees forming a canopy above her so that the light that filtered down was a subtle shade of green. It was nice and cool in the shade, and she absentmindedly hummed a song she'd picked up during her travels. The notes were generally high, only dipping into a lower range once in a while, and had an almost nostalgic, airy rhythm to them. Occasionally, she'd skip a little to the beat in her head, swinging her arms, spinning once or twice.

She was enjoying the peace and quiet. Those that she associated with most often were usually either violent, loud, or both. Out in the countryside, during a rare moment of solitude, she felt like she could relax a bit more, as though there was nothing to fear. Perhaps there wasn't. Perhaps she was prepared to deal with the dangers of the road. It all depended on whether or not Xaldin was in a good mood, she supposed.

She did realize, though, that the odds were against her. As a girl, traveling alone and seemingly helpless, carrying a basket that could very well have some good food in it, she was a decent target. Not as noticeable as a duchess or someone, but when food got scarce, anybody carrying it was fair game for the bandits and thieves.

This in mind, she really wasn't surprised when four figures melted out from the surrounding woods and circled her. A tiny spark of fear ignited in her heart, but she took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. She had to trust her friends to keep her safe. They would. They _had_ to. Faith, however, could be difficult to hold onto when she was grabbed from behind... when breath tainted with rotting teeth blew across her face.

"Well hey there, pretty. Got anything good for us?"

Of course she did. She had blueberry pie, and fresh salads, and apples. "Please, it's all in the basket. Everything I have is in the basket."

So they'd leave her alone. They could raid the supplies if they wanted.

"I wasn't really talkin' about that basket, babe."

But she'd be alright. Why would these people hurt her? They could have her food if they wanted. Anything, really, if it would ensure her safe arrival to Midgar. Her sandals scuffled in the dirt briefly, and she stumbled when they pulled her off the road, unable to resist trying to get away even when she knew that she could never overpower these people.

She'd be fine.

Perfectly fine.

Nothing was wrong.

And if only she could believe that, this entire ordeal wouldn't be so terrifying

* * *

Taller buildings greeted me as I turned the corner of the road, and Twilight Town was suddenly spread out before me. I liked that it was a happy medium between a little village and a real city. It wasn't too shocking to get used to (because Midgar sometimes did that, when I waited too long between visits), but it was a refreshing break from everybody knowing everybody else.

Cinna was a little worn out from the run, but true to his word, the blacksmith had lent me a fine horse. She was in great shape, and was very fast. Gentle, too. All in all, I decided I liked her, and that I'd get the money sometime to buy her off of him, if he'd sell her. But the blacksmith wasn't stupid, despite what he liked to lead people to believe, and he'd probably never give her up for any price I could offer.

I'd just have to appreciate her while I could. We slowed down to a trot as we approached the town, and the dirt turned to cobblestone that made a louder clopping sound each time her hooves hit it. Most of the people here were somewhat familiar with me, as often as I came, though few really knew who I was. But they were pretty friendly, and a few of them smiled or waved. I appreciated the gesture, but didn't have time for pleasantries unless it was with my friends, naturally.

So I rode onwards, seeking out a more familiar face. Not many friends of my dad lived here, but there were two or three, and they tended to spend time out and about. I was more likely to find them on the streets than at their homes, basically, so that's where I decided to roam for a little while. If nobody showed up by the time the sun hit its first quarter in the sky, though, I was moving on. It wasn't like Dad to stop by for very long here, and I was probably already wasting my time wandering around.

Better safe than sorry, though. On the off chance that he did stay here, possibly waiting for his sword, I'd hate to have left for Midgar. It was impossible to find anybody in that place.

Concern suddenly hit me. How _was_ I going to find him, anyway? I never tagged along on these trips, and he never talked about them with me. He could be anywhere. Dismay dropped my mood, and I began to pray that he'd stayed in Twilight Town. But I couldn't find any of his friends, or him, and hope slowly began to desert me. I didn't even get to see my own buddies. Apparently, the Struggle tournament was today, so they were all in another part of the town, which I really couldn't justify going to because no adults ever bothered with it, so it just wasn't a productive action.

Sighing, I turned Cinna around and brought her around in the direction of the road to Midgar. As she passed a fountain, though, a familiar man stepped out of one of the shops. With brown hair and a scar between his eyes, Leon stretched and caught the sunlight. He had known Dad. He had known Dad! Relieved, I waved and called out to him. He seemed a little surprised, but as he walked over, his eyes landed on the wrapped up sword dangling from the horse's side. Comprehension cleared the confusion from his face, and he nodded at me in acknowledgment.

"Have you seen Dad?" I couldn't stop from leaning away a little bit. Leon was nice enough, but there was something slightly off about him that made it a little harder to get comfortable.

"Yeah. He stayed the night at my place, and left a few hours ago."

I cursed under my breath, and ran a hand through my hair. "Alright. Thanks." The shortness was a bit rude, but I didn't really care. Where would Dad be in the city? The slums? The richer neighborhoods? He could've been on the streets or in the buildings, and there was no way to find out but to look everywhere, which didn't sound like the most desirable option.

Leon tilted his head briefly, then spoke up. "Hold on just a minute. I've got some business in Midgar myself, and I know some of Cloud's haunts. I'll help you find him."

Gratitude.

Lots and lots of gratitude.

"Okay," I replied, hopping down from the horse. "So should I just wait for you here, then?" Leon shook his head in response.

"Meet me at the road."

I hummed in consent, and began to lead Cinna out of the town square. She shook her mane every so often, and tossed her head, trying to get the flies to leave her alone. Of course, she failed. Flies will never be deterred. They are surprisingly focused on annoying the hell out of every unfortunate creature that catches their interest, and horses are quite often the victims. Humans had to be thankful for their flexibility, as we could easily swat the little pests away. Horses were just helpless.

As we walked, I would sometimes help her out by waving my hand around the flies and trying to get them to go away, but the efforts were in vain. It's the thought that counts?

Cinna and I huffed at the same time, stared at each other, and kept walking. The buildings were getting smaller, the roads a little less taken care of, and just beyond the bend was the road Leon and I were taking. There was a small apple orchard on the side of it, and a short wooden step-ladder had been left beneath one of the trees, with a barrel full of the fruit.

It was there that the horse and I stopped, and I perched on the ladder to avoid the muddy ground. The road itself was very dry, and I could only guess that there was some kind of logic to it. I wasn't real sure about the details, but the roads were very rarely muddy, except _while_ it was raining. As soon as water stopped coming, they dried right up again.

As I mused over the roads, and how exciting they were, of course, Leon had been making great time. It only felt like a few minutes before he came riding up on his own horse. The beast was huge, and dark as night. On its side, another sword had been hooked.

I stared at it, even as Leon headed straight down the road, hardly pausing for me to get on my own horse.

I _needed_ to find Reno and get him to talk to me. Although Yuffie was talkative, too, Reno was my best bet. He was at Seventh Heaven (which was just under new management, in light of Mom's absence) more often than not, and didn't really care whether or not my parents wanted me to know anything.

With that in mind, I pulled myself onto Cinna and she galloped forward, trying to catch up with Leon.

So the day went. Leon was always a bit ahead, pushing the pace enough to challenge Cinna, but never getting out of sight. There must've been a good reason for him to get to Midgar, because he really wasn't wasting any time. It was no wonder he owned a horse like that, too. Nothing else would've been able to put up with this, if this was less of a rush and more of a normal pace for him. At least it was good exercise.

Even with the fast pace, though, the sun had almost hit the middle of the sky by the time Leon pulled the reins and let us both come to a stop. I looked around at our surroundings, noticing a clearing maybe twenty or thirty yards ahead, and had to admit that although I was glad to have the chance to rest a bit, I wasn't sure why he'd chosen this spot.

Nevertheless, he swung himself off the horse, boots crushing the soft grass beneath, and I followed suit. He didn't tell me what he was doing, and I decided not to ask, as he took a few steps forward, knelt down, and ran his fingers over a small rut near where the road became grass. He was frowning, and gazed toward the tree line. I followed his stare, and realized why we had stopped.

An overturned picnic basket rested by the trees, surrounded by apples and lettuce and other foods. A notebook and pencil had fallen part of the way out of it. Concern flashed through me. If Leon was suspicious of this, he had good reason to be. Somebody was in trouble, and he wasn't going to turn a blind eye to it.

He straightened up, the glint in his eyes a little intimidating already, and pulled his sword from the sheath hanging off of his horse. I followed silently as he crept into the deeper shade, and laughter suddenly burst out from a small distance further in the woods.

"S-stop it!" A feminine voice cried out, sounding panicked.

"What's in here, kid? Marbles or somethin'? Ya got better stuff than that, dontcha? Maybe they're jewels?"

"No! You can't touch those, please-"

"Shut her up, Garr."

There were sounds suggesting some sort of scuffle, and then a slap and a tearing noise.

"Oh!"

"Fucking hell, you bitch!"

"G-"

"Damn it!" There was another slap and the girl started crying.

Leon and I had been closer and closer to them, and when one of the guys came into view, the brunet crouched down, pulling me with him. Using the cover of the underbrush to his advantage, he gestured for me to stay where I was while he slunk right up to the edge of the small group. He'd gotten right behind the girl, it seemed, right as a tall blond jerked her up to her feet.

Quick as lightning, Leon jumped up, yanking her out of his grip and pulling her behind him. With surprise on his side, he had enough time to kick the bandit away from him and survey what we were up against. I wasn't sure what he saw, but he didn't look afraid, and that was probably a good thing.

"What the fuck?" One of them spat.

"Roxas, take the girl and go," Leon called over his shoulder, nudging the little blonde in my direction. She hesitated, glancing at me and back at the adult.

"I need my bag-" she began to protest.

"You need to leave," he shot back, getting into a defensive stance while ignoring the curses and shouts of the other men.

"But-"

"Go!" A dagger flew at his head, and he ducked just in time. I got to my feet and grabbed the girl's wrist, not tugging her away just yet.

"This is four against one!" I stated incredulously. He was already engaged in fighting three of them and blocking the fourth from coming after us.

"They're common thugs. I'll be along, just wait at the gate!"

I really wanted to hit my head against something. The curiosity would never cease, because Leon, normal, quiet Leon, apparently was a kick-ass fighter, if his moves and multitasking were anything to go by. Trusting in his ability to get rid of the guys (and wondering if everybody associated with my parents was as strange as those I'd met already), I pulled the softly protesting girl back the way we'd come.

"I _need_ that bag, you don't understand!" She fretted, hurrying along by my side. I shook my head.

"Your life is more important. We can come back for it once Leon gets rid of them all."

She didn't seem happy with my statement, but she at least wasn't trying to turn around. When we came to her basket, she tugged a little. I let go of her wrist, figuring that there was no harm in her picking up things that _weren't_ in the middle of that gang of creeps. She seemed to realize that we were no longer in such a hurry, and took the time to brush off the apples before salvaging them. The rest of the food just wasn't in good condition, so she tucked in her notebook and pencil and stood up again, basket in hand.

"Thank you," she quietly said, tucking her hair behind one ear and smiling shyly. I grinned back at her, unable to help but think that she was really pretty, even while still shaken up.

"No problem. Leon's the one fighting, anyway."

She let me help her up onto Cinna, and got settled as comfortably as she could, with her legs gathered on one side and her basket resting in her lap. I hopped up in front of her, grabbing the reins as she wrapped an arm around my waist for security.

I cast an unsure glance at Leon's horse, but figured that he probably had it trained well enough to wait for him. With a flick of the reins, Cinna cantered down the road again, snorting every so often.

I couldn't stop myself from looking back a few times. Whatever the brunet said, four against one was definitely not a fair fight.

I really hoped he'd catch up soon.

* * *

A/N: So from now on, chapter are going to be around 5000 words. For you guys, this means that it's gonna take more chapters to get to actual Axel-Roxas interactions. I severely underestimate length, apparently, and I had to cut chapter two in half. So we'll see how this works out. :)

I think the main concern that I realized during this chapter is getting the personalities down right. I mean, being written from Roxas' point of view, perception becomes an issue too, which is why I'm especially struggling to keep Cloud and Tifa in character (I've started on chapter three, and Cloud shows up, so that's why he is included). Everybody has different sides, presents them at different times, and since this is an AU, I can't always refer to the games and movie. And as a teenager, Roxas tends to see his mother as... well, a mother. He doesn't really notice that she's got another role, even when presented with that information. Same with his father, though not to the same degree, especially after finding his sword.

So anyway, if it gets too bad, please warn me. :)

And by the way! "Vobis, tribuo nex immortalis" is a rough Latin translation of "To you, I grant the immortality of death." If I screwed it up, feel free to correct it! I did mess with it after some site translated, because I know a little bit of Latin, and there used to be the word for 'I' in there. And I don't think it was actually supposed to be there (the o in tribuo means I, so it was kinda redundant), but I could be wrong. And the word order might be funky. Never did understand that... :/ Anyway!

From this point on, I'm aiming to update once a week. There are three days I might do it, depending on how fast I write. It should be on a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday. Just... so you know the plan. :)

Reviews are very much loved! Hint... hint... ;D

* * *

**Shadowrain5: **Thank you so much! :D I kind of squealed when I saw your review. Loudly. It scared the hell out of my dog, haha. And I'm glad the chapter was a good length! I was trying to keep it around there when I wrote this, but... the original second chapter was turning out to be closer to 10,000. Not... quite what was expected. :/ Eh, at least it worked out alright for splitting up. But again, thank you! XD

**EpicSonic: **Thank you! I'm glad this seems good, and I will definitely be continuing! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Hey! Hey there! Real quick, just to let you guys know! For this next week, I am occupied with a one-shot, and so Chapter 4 is going to be pushed back a week, probably. In case you're interested, the one-shot is Akuroku, random romance, yes typical high school but it's meant to be fun, and to give a few laughs. It has a Star Wars theme too. :3 Just look for "You Are The Droid I've Been Looking For". XD

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I'm not making any money off this story, etc. We all know the drill. :)**

* * *

Chapter Three

The sun was definitely past the middle of the sky.

A few clouds had wandered their way onto the wide, blue expanse above us, and the day had cooled off some. Still warm. Just not so hot.

Namine and I were waiting by the entrance to Midgar, silent after having a small conversation. The both of us had far too much on our minds to really be sociable, and we had come to an unspoken understanding of that. So we did nothing more than wait, as patiently as we could, for Leon to return. I had stretched out on the ground, basking in the sunlight and immersing myself in thoughts. Namine was standing in the middle of the road, clutching her basket, fidgeting nervously, and sighing on occasion. I had no idea what was making her so restless, but she was obviously upset about something.

I wasn't sure if it was worth asking about.

I mean... if she needed to talk about it, she would, right? No need to make a big deal over it. I had no reason to get involved in her business.

I rolled over onto my stomach, wondering what was taking Leon so long. He insisted he could win against those thugs, but I was seriously beginning to worry about him. A lot could go wrong there.

I closed my eyes and tried to keep control. I hated just waiting around like this! I wanted to do something! I could've helped him, instead of laying around like this. There was nothing good about waiting. But Namine was obviously unhappy, and I wondered if my presence was any comfort to her. Probably not, but...

I nearly groaned in frustration.

Namine actually did. Sort of. More like a high-pitched... I don't even know. But she made a distressed noise, wringing her hands, and suddenly spoke up.

"I'm sorry, I can't wait any longer! I have somewhere to be, and- I hope your friend comes back okay! Thank you for everything!" She was backing up as she dismissed herself, and then she quickly walked toward the city.

"Wait, Namine! What about-" She was already gone, swallowed up by the mass of people who had just barely contained themselves within the city limits. "... your bag?"

I rolled my eyes and dropped my head back down. Fine. I was now completely useless. Whatever. I almost felt a little guilty, though. Maybe my bad mood had been too noticeable. Maybe it was making her uncomfortable, and that was what the distress was about. I had to calm down and stop worrying. What happened had happened, and there was no changing it now. Leon was serious as hell when he told us to wait here, and I knew he had a good reason behind it.

Or... I hoped he did.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to just relax. I closed my eyes and concentrated on everything around me.

In the city, people were shouting and talking, making a ruckus that could be heard even on the outskirts. The air wasn't as fresh as it was further along the road, but it was a nice temperature, with an added warmth from the sun. There was the slight hint of a breeze, and the grass was soft against my cheek. Cinna was off to the side, resting like me. We were both tired, though she was definitely worse off, and it felt good to rest.

But it would be better if Leon came back.

* * *

_Once upon a time, nothing was wrong with us._

_We were normal. We were real people, with hearts and everything. We had fun, even as we did our duties. I actually had friends, and it was damn nice._

_Everything in the world was fine, at that point. My friends and I had gone into disguise, and lived among the mortals, learning to blend in with them and join in their society. Sure, we had to watch them all die, while we didn't even age. But that was the price to pay to live a life like ours, wasn't it? An eternity of carefree fun, while our peers did all the work and didn't even realize we weren't there to share the load.  
_

_When I think back on it now, I feel bitter. Bitter and angry and _hateful._ I was so stupid! I was such a screw-up for never paying attention on that horrible first morning! I was so fucking determined to be an irresponsible dumbass! For a smart guy, I didn't live up to any kind of intelligence until it was too late to do anything, and every day, I wish I could just kill myself to get out of the hell I trapped myself in._

_But Earth is a fucking prison, and there's no way for people like me to escape it. We are our own chains. And we've tried to escape. We've tried to snap the chains, but it never works. Everything always ends in a failure more frightening than the last!_

_So slowly, we pick at the locks. Bit by bit, making probably-insignificant progress every week. We don't even know how far along we've gotten. Isn't that pathetic? We're just like children. Children, crawling around blindly in the darkness, swinging our little knives and hoping to make some sense out of this insane world. Hoping to find a light to guide us from the shadows. But the light disappeared, and those of us left?_

_We are the ones who were too stupid to chase it._

* * *

My eyes snapped open as a hand shook my shoulder. I groaned and turned over to find Leon crouched next to me. Relief flooded through me as I realized this, and I grinned at him.

"Took you long enough," I joked. He wasn't smiling, but his eyes had a little glint that revealed that he didn't mind the jab. Having woken me up from my nap, he stood back up to full height, as I mimicked his actions.

He was looking a little worn out, and there were a few rips in his clothes. Sweat lined his brow, and there was a cut on his arm that he'd bandaged up with a strip from the bottom of his shirt.

"Where's the girl?" He asked, holding a small, velvet black bag up to explain why he needed to see her.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "She left a little while ago. Said she had somewhere to be."

Leon was frowning, and I sighed. "After I find Dad, I can look around for her real quick."

The brunet nodded in acceptance, handing me the bag and striding back to his horse. "Cloud is probably in the old church or Seventh Heaven. Or... what used to be Seventh Heaven. Do you know where those are?" I had to pause to think, but I was pretty sure I knew.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Alright. Good luck," he said as his farewell, leading his horse into the city, probably for one of the stables. I looked back at Cinna. I'd have to do the same, probably.

"Come on, girl. I'll try to be fast."

She snorted.

* * *

I wandered aimlessly through the city streets. Why? Because I was wrong. I had no idea where the church was, or where the bar was. I only realized that after stepping foot in the city itself, and by then, it was already too late.

At the very least, I should've known which sector I was in. It looked pretty... poor. Like most of Midgar. I began to inspect everyone around me, hoping to see somebody who didn't look like they'd try to rob me. Or help someone try to rob me. Or... ugh. I hesitantly walked up to a brunette girl, who was leaning against the wall with her legs spread just enough to make it clear what she did (though the heavy make-up and skimpy clothes helped clarify). I supposed that, from a prostitute, all I had to worry about was convincing her that I didn't want to buy her, which shouldn't be difficult.

She arched a brow when she saw me approaching, and a slow grin spread over her face. She straightened up and flipped her hair over one shoulder. "Hey, sweetie. You lookin' for some fun?"

"N-no. I just need to know... what sector are we in?"

She almost seemed disappointed, slouching back against the wall and holding up five fingers. "Ya sure you're not up for it? Kid like you don't know what he's missin'. I can show ya a _real_ good time. Make ya a man, all that jazz," she drawled, leaning forward again with that same grin.

I just shook my head and took a step back. "Thanks for the help, miss."

"... Yeah, anytime," she sighed.

I hesitated, then stepped closer again. "Um, actually, do you know if there's a church anywhere around here?"

She snorted. "Lookin' for a church? I got the picture, kid. Ya don't gotta make up crazy shit like that." She laughed again, rolling her eyes. "Brat asks for a goddamn church. Ha!" I frowned at her.

"No, I'm serious. I need to get something to my dad, and I think he might be at a church around here. Sector 5 sounds about right." She stared blankly at me for a few seconds, then slid her gaze up toward the skies, chewing her glossy lip. She snapped her fingers, eyes lighting up as she looked at me again.

"Yeah, yeah! Over by Noni's place is some old thing; coulda been a church once upon a time. Ya know where that is?"

No. Why would I know where Noni lives? So I shook my head, and she stood all the way up again, grabbing my wrist and tugging my in an unknown direction.

"C'mon, kid. I'll take ya right on over. Ain't seen Noni for a while, so I'll just drop by. Feel free ta join us, kid!" She seemed oblivious to my discomfort, but at least she was being helpful, even if I really didn't want to join her and this Noni person.

The walk to get to the church wasn't too bad. It took around 5 minutes, and the prostitute just kept talking the entire time. I figured she was fully aware that I wasn't paying any attention to her chatting, but she didn't seem to care all that much, and I wasn't going to be the one to draw attention to it. So I really just followed her, until she came to a sudden stop in front of a large, somewhat neglected building. I assumed it was the church, and that was confirmed when my companion flung her arms out, exclaiming,

"We have arrived!"

"Thank you for your help," I replied, smiling politely. She responded by grabbing my wrist and pulling me toward the church.

"Now, hold ya horses, kid. We ain't done here. I gotta make sure your pops is here, else you're screwed." She glanced sideways at me, pausing by the entrance. "It's only 50 gil, ya know."

"I don't want to-"

"Yeah, yeah, just sayin', is all," she huffed, bursting into the old building.

It was beautiful. I mean, I had never been one to care all that much about architecture and stuff, but the abandoned, natural vibes were just... perfect. It felt serene. Tucked away as an oasis in a big city. The woman beside me whistled, putting a hand on her hip.

"Shit, kid. Don't tell me Blondie there's your pops?" Her gaze was focused on a dark figure standing by a pool of water. When I saw him, my jaw dropped. Denial. My dad was _not_ wearing leather. That wasn't something for a dad to wear. Because it apparently was attractive. And that was just weird.

Dad gave me a blank look. "Roxas?"

I cleared my throat. "Mom sent me with your... your sword. Cid has it right now, since it's a bit... heavy. He's letting the horse stay in his garage for now."

The woman beside me giggled. "Sure it is. Heavy, I mean." She sauntered up to my father, who didn't seem very interested, and purred, "50 gil, ya know, and I'll be _real_ good for ya." He stared at her for a moment.

"Sorry," he stated, stepping around her and continuing, "Roxas, are you coming?" I trailed after him as he left the church.

"I actually needed to find someone." Not a lie. Just... missing a bit of the truth. Mentioning Reno was sure to set off alarms in Dad's head.

"Alright, well, be quick. You'll have to be fast to get back home in time for supper."

We paused outside of the church, ignoring the pouting prostitute within, and I asked, "Dad? Um... what do you use the sword for?"

He hesitated, eyes searching mine for some kind of answer. He was silent, until he finally responded.

"I use it," he began, stopping to take a deep breath. I leaned closer, subtly. "To chop wood."

... Lost cause. Definitely.

I sighed, and nodded. "Totally logical. I'm checking some bars out. See ya later, Dad."

"Yeah," he grunted, heading for Cid's and accepting that I wasn't going to challenge his response.

* * *

Namine was seated in a booth, in some obscure bar she'd never heard of before. She was twiddling her thumbs, shaking her leg, biting her lip, and trembling a little.

_I'm so dead,_ she thought to herself. _He's going to kill me. He's going to kill me! Oh, I don't blame him. I can't believe I let this happen!_

She wrapped her hands around the glass of water sitting in front of her, and took a shaky sip of it. Her nerves were so stirred up that every time someone entered the bar, she flinched violently. Her heart was beating hard, and she _  
_kept trying to think of anything but the encounter to come. She knew she'd messed up, and she couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever get the chance to mess up again. Was it better to be casual at first? Or should she come clean immediately? Which would result in a faster death?

She groaned, dropping her head into her hands and leaning on the table.

"Hey, Nam!" A hand landed on her shoulder, and she shrieked, jolting up again to meet widened, bright blue eyes. The guy held his hands up in a gesture of innocence. "Woah! Chill out. It's just me," he laughed, lowering his hands and dropping into the seat across from her. She watched dismally, as a second cloaked figure joined the first.

The second one nodded coldly in acknowledgment, his slate hair disguising his expression. What she could see of it suggested his boredom. The taller blond brushed a strand of hair out of his face, and briefly checked to make sure his odd hairdo was intact before smiling playfully at her and leaning forward.

"Didja get here alright?"

She bowed her head, fiddling with a strand of hair. Her voice came out weak when she answered, "Not... not exactly." His smile slipped away, and he cocked his head, eyes shining with what looked like concern.

"What happened?"

Her heart was pounding furiously. Dead! She'd be dead! He'd rip her apart! This was bad, oh, very bad.

"I, um... I got... attacked, sort of, by these guys, on my way here."

His eyes darkened, but she knew she wasn't in trouble yet. "Who?"

"I... I don't really know. But they didn't hurt me. Two other guys showed up and they saved me." He lightened up instantly, slumping back in his seat.

"Well, that's great! I'd have to kill 'em if they hurt you know." She knew. She knew that he didn't mean it the way she wished he did. There was no protective instinct there. All his smiles and laughs... they meant nothing. And she didn't usually mind that, because she never had messed up this badly before. She had never made a mistake that might overshadow her usefulness. Never...

"Yeah..." she mumbled. He didn't really seem to notice her reluctance to speak, and went on.

"You wouldn't believe what a pain it was to get here! Zexy is just never any fun and I really don't understand why I even had to bring him along if he's just going to sit here and be moody." The smaller man glared at his cheery companion.

"It is due to your complete inability to focus on any task assigned to you. Perhaps if you displayed some shred of regard for your duties, you'd be permitted to venture out on your own," he snapped icily.

"Mah, mah," the blond mocked. "Maybe if you would just have some fun once in a while, you'd have friends."

"I don't _need_ friends, Demyx, and that is entirely irrelevant. Need I remind you already what our purpose in coming here is?"

The blond snapped his fingers. "Right! I totally forgot!" He turned his attention back to Namine, who withered under his oblivious gaze. "My bag?" Zexion rolled his eyes.

She continued withering, without a response. Zexion sat a little straighter in his seat, a hint of alarm. Demyx narrowed his eyes dangerously, and lowered his voice.

"Namine," he sang softly. "Where is my bag?"

Her mouth opened and closed before she could get her voice to work. She kept her gaze focused on a knot in the wooden table. "I... when they attacked me... I couldn't... and the ones who helped me wouldn't let me grab it back... and I waited, but-" she cut herself off when a hand slammed on the table, making a loud noise. Her eyes flicked up to meet Demyx's icy glare. The bar went silent.

"Demyx, be _quiet,"_ Zexion hissed. "You've drawn attention to us!"

Though the blond seemed to ignore him, his voice was lower than Namine had expected. "You _lost _my _bag_?" She whimpered in response. "Do you have _any _idea what you've done?"

"Please, I couldn't-"

"_I had **17** pure whites in there! Do you even know how hard it is to get that many in one week?"_

"I'm really sorry!"

"That isn't good enough-"

"Demyx, stop," Zexion ordered. "There is nothing she could have done."

The taller man gazed at his companion with ice in his eyes. "I don't like killing. I don't like working. I don't like losing all the progress I made."

"I understand. But it is not all lost." He turned his eyes to Namine. "In what location did you get attacked?"

She thought for a moment, stunned by the man coming to her defense. "Um... about a mile down the road going north from here."

"You shall spend as much time as you need, searching that area, and seeking Demyx's bag. You shall not stop until you obtain it, and upon such an accomplishment, you shall return here and wait. Do you understand me?" He spoke slowly and precisely, making sure she knew he was serious.

She bit her tongue, refraining from protesting that it would take _days_, and nodded her head. "I do." He gave her the hint of a smile.

"Excellent. Now go."

Demyx was ignoring her, and she knew he was still angry, so she hurried to obey. But right as she got to the door, a familiar boy opened it and froze, staring at her.

"Oh. Hi, Roxas."

He smiled. "I was looking for you. Leon found something of yours." He held up the black velvet bag, and her jaw dropped open.

"You... I... and... Thank you!" She cried, jumping onto him in a hug. His eyes widened and he stumbled back a bit, quickly wrapping his arms around her to hold her up.

"Geez, Namine. It's just a bag.

* * *

A/N: Uuuuggggh. Sick. For the first time in two years, seriously. It actually hurts to breathe right now. :( And, of course, you know how people need sleep to get better quickly? I can't sleep until I'm not sick, and I can't stop being sick til I sleep, and it's a ridiculous loop. DX

I used to have questions to ask, but... I'm retarded right now, and I don't know what the hell I'm doing, except I just deleted like, three scenes and have no plans to replace them and it's a shorter chapter and I'm ignoring my own posting days and rebelling against myself. But I don't even know what the point of this note is. This is a very confused writer. Um...? Reviews? Please? Because I love _all_ of you cute little readers? I'll share my cupcakes with you.

* * *

**OneWhoNeverStopsCrying: **You're a winner! You get... a Roxy-cupcake. Yaaaay! Because you're the only reviewer of chapter two. So you get the cupcake, and... a big thank you! But yeah, Namine is so unlucky. Like, you have no idea. At some point, her story will be told, but... I totally abused her. :( Poor dear.

And with Axel and Roxas... it's coming. Eventually. It will happen _before_ the tenth chapter! ;D


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I'm not making any money off this, etc. We all know the drill. :)**

* * *

Chapter Four

The lights in the bar were pretty dim, and a thin layer of smoke hung in the air. Some people were laughing loudly, waving mugs of beer around, while others were seated in booths, hunched over with red-rimmed eyes, whispering and muttering to themselves. The small group that I had joined with was something else, though.

There was a tall blond guy, smiling brightly and chattering away, while his friend was seated so tensely that he looked like he was about to bolt up and get out of this place. Namine was a strange mix of relieved and worried, and I could tell that there was something wrong with this picture. Unfortunately, I knew next to nothing about the entire situation, and I wasn't sure how to tell what was off.

I suspected that there was more to the story than what I was told. The blond guy, who had introduced himself as Myde, claimed that Namine was his sister, and inside the bag was a small collection of gems. Their entire house had caught on fire, killing their mother and father, and the only salvageable things left were the gems. He and Namine had been visiting their friend Ienzo, who was the one sulking over on the other side of the table, and had only found out about the fire once it was too late. Namine had kept most of the gems after they bought themselves new belongings, and stayed behind while Myde traveled to Midgar and started working, so she could take care of business in their home town.

I wasn't sure if it was the truth or not, but I really did suspect that they were hiding something.

Nevertheless, it wasn't my place to pry. I didn't know them very well at all, and I didn't want to be rude. But they were nice on some level, at least, as Myde had bought me a late lunch. My stomach fell in love with him. I wasn't exactly sure what I was eating, but it involved peas, mashed potatoes, an unfamiliar meat, and cheese. And it was delicious.

The entire meal would've been more enjoyable, of course, if Ienzo hadn't been staring at me as if I was an alien. I tried to ignore him, but it was extremely unsettling. Eventually, I decided to actually pay attention to what Myde was saying.

"... and of course, they worshiped Xigbar. I don't like war and stuff, so I was kinda like, not happy there. It was weird, y'know? What about you? Where are you from? What god does your town worship?" He was grinning at me, waiting for an answer. So I definitely tuned in right on time.

"I'm from Destiny. You probably don't know it. It's a very small town, right by the sea. So we worship Demyx, mainly."

Myde perked up, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. "Now _there's_ a god! Isn't his shrine awesome?"

I couldn't help but laugh a little. This guy was really enthusiastic about the gods. "Yeah. It's one of my favorites, I think. The water always looks like it's dancing."

"As it should! Did you know that the way it's designed, sound waves can bounce around and actually move the water, so if you play some kind of instruments right near it, the water's movements change! I find it works best with a sitar." He seemed excited about it, and I got caught up in the feeling, too. My eyes widened.

"No way! I've gotta try that sometime!"

"Yeah! I'd show you, but... y'know. No sitar, no shrine. But if I ever see you again, we should go find a shrine and I'll play some songs for you!"

"Cool-"

"Roxas," addressed Ienzo, cutting in without apology. I stopped talking and stared at him. His eyes were narrowed slightly, and he was frowning. "would you agree to a favor?"

"Um... sure. What do you want?"

He lowered his gaze to his fingers, which tapped smoothly against the table. Namine seemed surprised that he was talking to me. "Circumstances are, quite frankly, unsatisfactory at the moment. You see, Myde hasn't actually found anywhere to live yet. Poor Namine is bound to suffer the misfortunes of homelessness if she remains in Midgar. I must request that you allow her to intrude upon your own home for a period of time."

My jaw dropped. That was _not _just a favor. It was really a big deal, and I wasn't sure how I supposed to react. Namine beat me to it, however.

"Ienzo! I can't do that to him. He's already been so helpful, it would be so rude to ask any more of him."

"I-It's okay," I began, but Ienzo ignored me and stood up, pulling the blonde girl a few yards away and leaning toward her ear, whispering something. She tensed, turned to look at me briefly, then looked back at him and shook her head. His foot tapped in annoyance, and he nodded firmly, whispering some more. She hesitated, then bowed her head and returned to the table, followed by the man.

"Namine, I don't mind. It's a sudden request, but I'm sure my family won't mind."

She smiled weakly at me, something in her eyes that hadn't been there just moments ago. "Thank you so much, Roxas. It's very kind of you."

"Don't... don't worry about it. But speaking of home... if we want to get there in time for dinner, we've got to leave immediately. It's a good distance."

She gazed at Myde and Ienzo. Myde seemed a bit confused, but he cheerily waved. "As soon as I get a place, I'll come pick you up, alright? Be good! And Roxas, make sure she doesn't get in trouble. Thanks for helping us out!" Ienzo just waved at the both of us, as we stood to leave.

Outside, it was still nice and bright. Just a bit past mid-day, luckily. People were milling around, and with horror, I realized something. "Shit," I mumbled. Namine sent me a concerned look.

"Roxas? What's wrong?"

"Well..." I spotted a familiar woman leaning against a nearby wall. She caught my eye and grinned, tugging at the sleeve of a younger woman beside her and pointing at me. I closed my eyes and sighed. "Namine, I promise... this lady is completely harmless."

"What do you-" I pulled her across the street before she could finish her sentence, and stopped in front of the leering, scantily clad women.

"Hey, kid. Ya reconsider my offer?"

"No. But I need help."

"It only costs 50 gil. This here is Noni, by the way. Real cutie, ain't she?" Noni was obviously distracted, though, and Namine had hidden behind me as soon as she realized that she was the cause.

"Not at all. Which way goes to the western road?"

The prostitute huffed. "Geez, kid. Ya got no sense o' direction. Come along, chickadees."

* * *

_The velvet bag was soft in my hand. I extended my arm, holding the bag over the large, glass pot. I tipped it, and all the little pebbles slipped out, clinking against each other as they joined the mass of other pebbles. Other hearts. All thrown together, to remind us of every sin. Every death at our hands. Every child, every mother, every father we had killed. Every lover we had murdered and every warrior we had bested. Each mistake we made was lying in that pot, some stained red, and others burnt black._

_There used to be so many of us, sinning together and soothing our guilt. But along with the other 37 original survivors, that guilt had been done away with. After that biggest mistake of all, we had learned that this wasn't just a pursuit of death; it was a struggle to survive long enough to find that death. So many things had been dangerous before, and we thought that that would be the worst of it. We thought that, if we could get past the guilt, learn to help each other like we used to, then we could make it. We could get to the end._

_But the most dangerous thing is that which we don't know of, and that was a lesson learned the hard way._

_When we got frustrated, we tried to hurry the process along. The murder was massive. Millions fell to our blades and our furious desperation that one night, and it _still_ wasn't enough. It would never be enough. We were left with the planet just as we left it. Until, of course, Sirxes was killed._

_Slashed open._

_Destroyed._

_And Kingdom Hearts, that glorious afterlife we searched for so hopelessly, still was not open._

_Where had he gone? What kind of afterlife awaited him? With our heaven still locked, it could not have been a good one._

_But then we heard it._

_We heard his screams._

_In our heads, always screaming in agony, suffering relentlessly and forcing us to listen. So we knew that something was horribly wrong. But how had he died? What happened to him?_

_The slaughter that followed answered our questions more than well enough. Humans became demons of the light, wielding keys to mock our plight (that they can unlock what we need, the mother-fuckers) as they cut us open and ripped us apart, leaving us to fade away in the darkness by ourselves. They acted like they were so much better than us, those damned Keywielders, with their sunshine and their insistence that we were evil. They actually believed that _we _were the bad ones! And for that, they damned us all._

_By the time we had finally defeated them all, there were only twelve of us left, even including our leader. As we tried to pick up the pieces, as we taught ourselves to fight and to prepare better for anything unexpected like that, Xemnas brought us closer. He formed us into a real group, not just an unorganized cause, and he called us Organization XIII, to remind us that our creator was still out there somewhere. Still watching over us, somehow, and we needed to remember that. He was with us. We weren't only twelve. We weren't alone._

_One day, he'd find us again.  
_

* * *

"Roxas?" Namine was quiet, but sounded very curious.

"Yeah?"

"What's your family like?"

I had to think about it, honestly. It was difficult to describe my family, honestly. Partly because the only one who wasn't hiding anything was Sora.

"Well... they're all nice enough. Mom and Dad are pretty secretive, though, so it's useless to ask them anything about themselves. Otherwise, Dad is just a quiet kind of guy. He's pretty calm. Mom can be really energetic, and as long as you do what she says, she's completely harmless. I also have a brother, Sora. He's like Mom. Energetic, optimistic, and generally fun. He's engaged, actually. He'll be marrying Kairi at the beginning of summer." I found myself getting distracted by thoughts. "... Soon..."

"Do... you love Kairi?" Namine hesitantly ventured. I tensed. She was really good at observation.

"No, I don't."

"Did... Did you?"

"No... maybe." I flicked the reins, urging Cinna to go faster. "I thought I did, anyway."

We were both quiet for a little while.

"Is it okay if I ask what happened?"

She sounded so timid, and I knew she meant no harm by her curiosity. I couldn't blame her, anyway. So I gave in and answered.

"When we were all younger, she and Sora were best friends. She'd always be hanging out at our house, and tried to include me in their games. At first, I just had a crush on her. But as we grew up, it never really went away, and the feelings grew stronger. Eventually, when she was 17 and I was 16, I asked her if she'd marry me. But she was in love with Sora, and Sora was in love with her, and there wasn't a place for me anymore. I was upset about it, but... there was nothing I could do. I'd been trying to separate them for a long time, but I recognized defeat. Only a month later, Sora proposed to her, and she said yes. And here we are. Half a month, and they will officially be husband and wife."

Namine didn't seem to know what to say about that, but she rested a hand on my shoulder, gently. I knew she meant it as support, and I appreciated it. Unwilling to make any sort of deal over it, though, I glanced at the sky. The sun was getting close to setting, sinking down toward the horizon as it began to spread its pink and orange wings.

"We should be home in half an hour or so," I informed. Namine hummed her acknowledgment, and the silence was comfortable once again. I mused to myself about how my family would take the news of our new household member. She'd surely fit right in...

After an increasingly chilly 40 minutes, we finally arrived at my house. Through one of the windows, we could see the fire roaring in the living room, with Mom, Sora, Kairi, and Riku all laughing and chatting as they sat on the couches and chairs. I longed to join with them immediately, but... Cinna. We needed to return Cinna to the blacksmith before he got too frustrated about the momentary loss of his horse.

As though Cinna could read my mind, could feel my anticipation, my knowledge that we were almost done with the journey, she broke into a gallop. Namine gasped in surprise and clutched onto me. That blessed horse made the last leg of the trip nice and quick, and when we got to her stable, we jumped down and put her into a stall, taking off the saddle and everything and neglecting to inform the blacksmith of our arrival. He'd figure it out.

Namine and I looked at each other, eyes meeting, and we grinned. We were both thinking the same thing. I held my hand out, and she grasped onto it as we took off down the road, path seen only because of the full moon slowly rising in the darkened skies. Her dress was pale, one of the only things really visible, and I couldn't help but think she looked almost fae, as her bright eyes shone and her hair streamed out behind her as we sprinted and stumbled. We'd been taken hold of by something strange, possessing us, making us giddy without reason. I liked it.

The small house swam into view through the shadows and trees, and we burst through the front door to a room full of shocked people. Everyone's jaws were dropped, and Namine and I had the grace to blush and let go of each other. I cleared my throat.

"Hey, guys. Um... this is Namine. She's kind of in need of a place to live right now, so I said she could stay here for a while." My grin was nervous, and the room was silent. Namine uncomfortably shifted.

"I'll try not to be too much of a bother, ma'am. I'll help with any work you wish, and-"

"Roxas, I need to see you in the kitchen for a minute," my mother ordered, trying to size up Namine, but not really certain of what to think. I hurried to follow her as she disappeared into the other room, listening to Kairi offering a seat for my new friend.

Mom dragged me into the pantry and slammed the door shut.

"Mom, what the-"

"Don't finish that sentence!" She hissed, brandishing a candle. Her expression was that of disbelief and frustration.

"What's wrong?"

"You just waltzed in here with a strange girl, whom none of us have ever met, laughing and red-faced and holding hands, knees dirty, asking if she can stay! What do _you_ think?"

"Mom, I swear, there's nothing going on!"

"Where did you meet this girl? You know you can't just pick up any pretty face in the slums and bring her home! She could have all sorts of diseases! You don't know what she's done, or anything!"

"She's not from Midgar! I met her when Leon and I were heading to the city, and she was getting mugged! We got her away, and we separated ways in the city. I ran into her again later, and found out that her house had just burned down, with her parents in it! She was going to the city to meet up with her brother, who had been trying to get enough money for a house, but he hadn't earned enough yet, and he didn't want her to have to be on the streets with him!"

"Oh, dear..." Mom trailed off. "But are you sure this isn't some kind of con?"

"I'm very sure. Please, just trust me! Talk to her for just a little while and you'll know."

Mom seemed uncertain, but she decided to believe me for the moment. We left the pantry, and reentered the living room, where we found everyone else smiling and chatting, already comfortable with the new addition to our home. Namine seemed happy, surrounded by people, and I dropped down next to her on the couch. Kairi looked like she'd already grown fond of the sweet blonde, and was giggling about something or other.

After a quick observation of how everyone had grown closer already, Mom smiled and sat back in her chair. "So, Namine, welcome to the family!" She chirped. The girl burst into a smile and her eyes seemed to light up.

"Thank you!"

"Now what kind of food do you like, sweetie? I was just about to start making dinner, so I may as well make a real nice one to celebrate your arrival!" Mom was already planning on cooking to suit Namine's preferences? Oh, yeah, she was in alright. Something about that made me feel warmer inside than usual, and it was a pleasant sensation.

Sora perked up at the suggestion of a celebration, and he grinned in excitement. "Oh, Mom, seriously? Are we gonna have drinks? Tell me we're going to have drinks! Please!" Mom ignored him to listen to Namine's shy murmuring, and Kairi frowned playfully, whacking my brother over the head.

"Sora, you're such a little alcoholic. I am never letting you bring any beer in our house." She paused. "How's that coming along, by the way?"

Sora scowled a little. "There's no beer in it, if that's what you're asking."

"It's not, but I guess that's good, too. I just mean... will it be ready in time for the wedding?" Sora wrapped an arm around his soon-to-be bride, kissing her cheek.

"Of course, Kai. But it'll be done sooner if I get beer!"

"That doesn't even make sense," Kairi scolded, whacking him again.

He stuck his tongue out at her and they both turned back to the other conversation. I just tore my eyes away from Kairi before she could notice that I'd been staring, and I focused more on Namine. She was already getting along with Mom really well, and she really seemed to be so much happier than she was before. It was like... something in her eyes, almost. As if they were brighter. Even so, there was something hanging over her. Something unpleasant, like bad memories or fear or _something_.

Of course! Her parents had just died. I nearly shook my head at myself for forgetting something like that. No wonder she seemed a little reserved. It was only natural.

After all, she was young. How much else could she have even gone through?

* * *

Under the light of the pale moon, Namine perched on the edge of one of the cliffs, watching the waters below glisten. A small frown tugged at the corners of her lips, and she sighed, with a melancholy air hanging about her. Crickets chirped softly, and the waves splashed against the rocks, holding off what would have otherwise been a silence very near oppressive. Even so, at this late hour, there was hardly any noise.

_"Namine... what would you say if I told you that we could be together, suspended in youth, forever?"_

_"Why would you tell me that?"_

_"What would you say?"_

_"I'd say... forget happy endings. A happy eternity would be so much better."_

_"I love you, Namine."_

_"I love you, too..."_

The small blonde sighed, pulling her knees against her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "A happy eternity..." She murmured to herself, closing light blue eyes and remembering a warm body pressed against hers. That slender figure, with his warm lips and his soft hair, his charming reservation and even his scent, like old books. He wasn't perfect, and she never thought he was. He came and went with no warning, offered no explanation for his actions, often trying to hide his frustration, which he said stemmed from his cousin, and was always present.

But he saved her. He saved her and damned her and left her. For all his intellect, he had been a fool, and she knew he'd never forgive himself for that, whether or not she already had.

It had all fallen apart, that night. The deed was done, and the secrets, the lies, the bitter truths, had all been revealed. Her world was crashing down around her, for the second time, but then... there wasn't anybody who could save her.

Never again.

* * *

A/N: So... there you have it! Chapter 4! More information was given out, hopefully a good amount. I've got a better idea than before about when Axel first meets Roxas, and it won't be too much longer! :D

I have decided to just abandon any real schedule (or set length) and just update once a week, no matter the day. I was trying to be organized, but it kind of... well. Anyway. The lateness of this particular chapter can be attributed to a one-shot I wrote, that stole my attention. Many apologies!

And by the way, I apologize for the weird rambling last time. I was really sick, and somehow got it into my head that if I didn't update immediately, the entire story would implode, and I just had to add my delirious 2 cents in at the end. Probably won't happen again, but I make no promises. :3

Anyway... this chapter made me unhappy. Why? Because I love RikuxSora. But I couldn't get it in for the story, because... yeah. The Roxas issue. It's relevant. But now I feel bad for Riku being all alone! DX Any pairing suggestions for Riku? The gender doesn't really matter. He strikes me as irrepressibly gay (though not flamboyant either), no matter what time period he's in, but I can still write him as straight...

And one last thing! Does Roxas really show much of a personality? Does anyone? I can't quite tell, honestly.

* * *

**Lifeslover:** Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad the pace is alright, too. I'm sure there are quite a few people who aren't going to keep with the story because it's taking longer, so it's wonderful to hear that someone is actually fine with it. :D Haha, well, anyway, there's the fourth chapter! A little more for you. :) And yeah, bad grammar can be so distracting. So thank you for noticing that I've been trying to keep it good! :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Once upon a time, a teenage girl was skipping through the forest with her best friend. Her friend spied a stack of documents tucked away beneath the roots of a fallen tree, tied with a muddy ribbon and covered in water stains and dirt. She knelt down and picked them up, brushing away the dirt. Awe came over her as she stared at the wonderful papers, and the other girl noticed what she held. They were beautiful, and an unfamiliar greed came over her. "Darah," she murmured. "Give them to me." The other girl glared up at her. "No, Sarah. I found them, and I will keep them," she stated. "But it's my birthday, and I want them," Sarah protested, and killed Darah. She didn't get the papers anyway. A short, hairy man came and took them away. So no, I don't own the rights to Kingdom Hearts. My name isn't even Sarah. How very sad...**

* * *

Marble halls were nearly silent. Echoing softly were the footsteps of a cloaked figure, advancing quickly on the door to the outside. _Find Namine and bring her here. I expect her arrival by the end of the month, so be quick. _Axel shook his head, striding more quickly down the hall.

The hell was Xemnas playing at? It wasn't Axel's job to keep track of the servant, so he had no idea where the hell she was. Zexion was the only one who paid any attention to her, and he was off on another continent, which would take too long to get to anyway.

The redhead pulled his hood up and pushed through the large stone doors at the end of the hall. Two weeks ago, about, Namine should've been in Midgar. As far as he knew, she wasn't given any other assignments since then, so it wasn't too unlikely tat she'd still be there, or in the general area. There were a number of towns near the city that might've been able to keep her entertained for long enough, and it usually took around 3 days to get to Midgar from Vastra, where they all stayed the majority of the time. Green eyes turned up to the sky, thanking his luck that Namine had a tendency to linger.

He looked back down, and lazily surveyed the scenery.

Vastra was on top of the mountains, shrouded in mist and thick greenery. It was difficult to find, and with the limited magic possessed by the immortals, they had made it inaccessible to mortals. Even animals couldn't cross the threshold unless being brought in by one of the 'gods' or Namine. But of course... Namine rarely spent her time in Vastra. No, it had never been a nice place for her. She liked the peace, but she preferred the peace of a small town to a large mass of ruins.

Besides that, Axel noted to himself as his eyes landed on a blonde throwing daggers at a target, Larxene and Namine had never gotten along very well.

The redhead hesitated, debating whether or not to approach his old friend. Bringing up the subject of the other blonde never really went well, but Larxene knew Zexion well enough that she might be privy to the girl's location as well. He ran a hand through his bright spikes, but sauntered toward the "storm goddess".

She arched a brow at his arrival, gripping one of her knives tightly.

"What do you want?" She greeted. Axel grinned in response, knowing not to let the attitude get to him.

"I was hoping you knew the whereabouts of a certain servant," he hedged, being careful not to even mention the girl's name. Larxene still sneered, crossing her arms and jutting her hip to the side.

"That little bitch? She's in Destiny."

"Destiny? Where the hell is that?"

"Geez, Axel. Full of stupidity today. It's this shitty little town by the sea, kinda near Midgar."

Axel frowned. "Well, how was I supposed to know?"

Larxene raised her brows in surprise. "Oh, hell. You really didn't hear about it, then. Zexion sent her to stay indefinitely, to keep an eye on a certain boy over there, Roxas. Apparently, he's a keywielder waiting to happen, so she's just there to make sure nothing comes of him."

The redhead's blood chilled at the reminder of those demons on Earth, and his eyes turned nearly icy. Frightening, all things considered. Larxene sighed. "Axel, relax. He's just a human, alright? He can't hurt you, and even if he could, we know how to fight them now. It's not gonna turn out like last time. Never again. So stop being a pussy and get your ass back to whatever the hell you were doing before you started bugging me."

Axel frowned, but turned back to the path and headed for the stables. He was pretty sure that the nice white horse was still there, and hopefully it was well-rested. Though they were lucky that Namine was actually on the same island as Vastra, she could very well be on the other side entirely, and it would be a long trip.

To his relief, the creature looked energetic and ready to go, so he hopped on and rode it out.

* * *

_I was born in a town by the forest, nearly a century ago. My mother gave birth to me on the floor of our kitchen, without a midwife. She died soon after having me, and I was left with my father, Koscel, to raise me. It wasn't a particularly difficult life. Dad loved me, and I loved him, and we took care of each other as best as we could. Both of us worried sometimes if it was good enough. Still, we were happy._

_I had known early on that my father wasn't perfect. It didn't take long to learn who all the women were that he took upstairs every other night. It wasn't difficult to figure out why some nights, he'd leave home with 100 gil and come back with 500, or nothing. I sometimes found beer laying around the house, and I'd know. He never tried to deny it, either. He simply did his best not to let it get in the way of a healthy, family relationship. I always thought he did a good job, every other night when he'd tuck me in bed, check for monsters in the closet, kiss my forehead and turn out the light._

_Unfortunately, it didn't take long for him to pay the price of such a lifestyle, and he came down with a sexual disease. He battled it for two years, growing weaker as the time passed us by, until I was 12, and his body finally gave in._

_I buried him by myself._

_His grave was in the backyard, marked by a make-shift cross I made from bits of wood I had found, and I made sure to cover it in flowers._

_For the first week, I was frightened. After all, I was a young girl without parents, without a job, without anything, really, except a roof over my head. How was I supposed to get food? How could I possibly make money, when gambling was too risky and I had no talents? I hadn't realized that money was to be the least of my worries, as short-sighted as I'd been at the time. The food turned out not to be a real problem, luckily. I grew vegetables in the garden outside, and one of the boys in town, Ventus, always found the time to slip me a meal, every day._

_Ventus was unusual. He wasn't a sweetheart, could never be called a gentleman, but in his own way he was perfect. I'd had a crush on him since I was 8 years old, and played with him sometimes during worship when we got bored. After Dad died, he tried to help me through it, even though sometimes he got sick of dealing with the emotional wreck I'd been. I don't think he realized just how much I appreciated it, but he knew he was helping on some level. Soon enough, he grew to like me, too. Sometimes he'd swear that as soon as we could, we'd get married, and I'd be the happiest girl in the world._

_We were young. Anything was possible._

* * *

It only took two months for Namine to become an important part of the Strife family. Upon Cloud's return, he'd been surprised and wary, but even he had warmed up to her quickly. Tifa finally had someone to whom she could impart womanly wisdom (since Kairi already had a mother for that), and Roxas... well, Roxas wasn't sure if he'd found a close friend or a crush.

He did know that he admired her. For such a sweet girl, she had a very blunt honesty to her when she wanted to. She was stronger than she looked, and she wasn't afraid to work. She was interesting, and he knew she was keeping secrets, but her attitude didn't reflect it at all, and it was easy to forget.

So did he like her?

Did he love her?

Roxas kicked a small stone out of the way as he trudged down the road toward Twilight Town, not intending to make the full journey, but enjoying a long walk on his own, so he could just... think. As much as he loved his family and friends, sometimes he preferred being alone. It was more peaceful that way. Better for contemplation.

The distant beating of horse hooves grabbed his attention, and he curiously peered down the curving road, unable to see the creature yet. Not many people bothered coming to Destiny, unless they were from Twilight Town. The townspeople, however, rarely used horses to travel such a short distance. Most of them liked to take the opportunity for a long walk, just like the blond, and there were very few places to keep a horse in Destiny anyway. The road didn't continue past the small town either, so nobody just passed through.

Roxas strained his ears, listening carefully to the beating of the hooves. If they were fast and heavy, the horse was probably galloping, and something bad had happened, or urgent news was coming. If they indicated walking... which they did, he concluded, there was no telling what was going on.

Soon enough, though, the horse and its rider turned the corner. The horse was magnificent. Large, bright white, and well-groomed, the only thing keeping it from looking perfect was the slight drag in its gait, indicating some degree of exhaustion. The rider didn't look much better, and had to be sweltering in his black cloak. His bright red spikes were drooping, and he had a frown set on his lips. Emerald eyes lazily scanned the area, almost missing the blond boy. When he did notice the blond, he tugged a smile (or a smirk, perhaps?) onto his lips and his eyes flicked over the smaller body almost imperceptibly.

"This is the road to Destiny, right?" He called out, hiding a snort at the way his sentence sounded. What a weird name for a town.

"Yeah. You have business here?" Roxas confirmed, offering a smile in return. The redhead nodded in response.

"Is there any place I can keep my horse? We've come a long way, and she needs a good place to rest for a little while, if you don't mind."

"Well, _I_ don't mind, but I don't own the only stables in town. You'll have to talk to the blacksmith about that, but don't let him trick you. He's always got money in mind, and he'll try to make you pay. Don't bother with it. Just give him a good glare and he'll back down." The blond paused. "How long are you going to be here?"

Axel frowned. "I don't actually know. A week at the very least." The two males began heading toward town at a slower gait, and conversation turned casual. It was nice, though Roxas could tell that something was off about this guy. Not necessarily bad, just off. It was probably going to bother him until he could figure out what it was, but he had to mentally remind himself that he shouldn't get into other people's business. It just wasn't his place.

Luckily for him, Axel's business had to do with him, and it wasn't long before the question came.

"Do you know a girl named Namine?" The redhead drawled lightly. "I need to give her a message." Roxas' eyes lit up and he smiled.

"Yeah, she's living with my family and I. I'm Roxas, by the way." Axel had tensed up, staring oddly at his companion, and disgust welled up inside him. The light brat. Shit. Figured the kid would be just his type, too. Stupid, 'pure' hearts... He froze, an idea slowly blooming within his mind, and his lips curled up in a wicked smirk as he shook Roxas' hand.

Corruption could solve this. It wouldn't be as easy as if he'd tried to corrupt a normal boy, but it was certainly possible. Spread a little taint, a little sin, and no more need to worry about a rising key-wielder.

"I'm Lea."

* * *

Bright blue eyes cracked open, squeezing shut again quickly as the sunlight proved to be too intense. The girl uncurled herself from the little ball she'd gotten into, stretching so hard that her arms and legs trembled, as she groaned a little. She went limp again, and slowly managed to get her eyes open, squinting a little and blocking the sun with her hand A cool breeze swept over her, and she pushed herself up with one hand.

She was resting by the side of a large cliff, a little sore from having fallen asleep on the rocks, and before her was a large valley and forested mountains. Everything was green and gold, warm in the midst of summer, and two falcons soared over the winding, jumping river.

Lovely.

A smile curled onto her lips as she sighed, and she reluctantly forced herself to get her eyes all the way open. She pushed herself up and onto her feet, brushing off her shirt and skirt, letting the soft fabric brush her shins. Bare feet wiggled a little as she rose her arms and stretched again.

"Let's see," she murmured, tapping her chin. "Nearest town... is... Holska. Holska is..." She peered out at the valley again, and shuffled to the edge of the cliff. Her toes curled over the edge and she estimated a 400 foot drop. "Down."

And she jumped.

An hour later, she strolled into a small town tucked away at the foot of the mountains. Holska. She ruffled her short, dark hair and frowned. Something was different. Wrong, somehow. The town hall, just barely visible over the rooftops, looked _old._ Elliot Finch's house, a small wooden cottage, wasn't next to the river anymore. It was gone. The road was less soft than it was before, and the trees were so much more mature, so much bigger.

How... how long had she been asleep?

The longest she'd ever slept was one month, but this had to have set a new record for her. Houses were gone. New houses stood. The townsfolk had probably passed on by now, and would she have to explain who she was to them again? What was the relationship between mortals and immortals anyway? Surely, even as everything else had changed, this one thing would have remained the same. She couldn't imagine why it would ever change.

Nevertheless, she could feel that something was different. It was more than just the town. Something inside of her felt... empty, in a way. Smiling was a little less easy, and worry gripped her heart. This definitely wasn't good. She needed to find another immortal, and soon. She didn't want to be in the dark about the world's current affairs. In fact, it might be best not to even mention what she was to anybody. Maybe she could subtly bring up the other immortals in conversation.

Curiosity spurred her on, and she wandered into the town. She gathered a few suspicious glances, but just grinned at them and waved, moving on until she found what looked like a tavern of sorts. Creaking caught the attention of the inhabitants of the tavern as she swung the door open, and she lightly jumped into one of the bar seats, next to a middle-aged man with dark brown eyes and a heavy brow. She called for a water and swung her legs casually, facing the man beside her.

"Hey there. My name is Xion. What's yours?"

* * *

A/N: Well, as you should already know, the italics aren't Axel anymore. I'm pretty sure you can guess who it is (even though Ventus just randomly got thrown in there, which I do apologize for), and it's going to stay that way until I say otherwise. Just confirming it. :) And yeah, the chapter is definitely shorter than the first few. I'm sorry if it's too short, but they'll be coming out more quickly this way anyway, and honestly, as long as it's more than 2500 words, I don't care too much about the length. It _will_ fluctuate a good bit.

Anyway, I didn't get a single review this time, so here's the deal. If you don't review, I will just continue to write when I feel like writing (based purely off my mood, and fairly sporadic). However, for each new review, I'll write an extra 300 words that day. It adds up, guys, and could even push me into an inspired frenzy (it's happened before) resulting in way more than 300, so if you want faster updates...

Hmmm... what else? Well, here's a question! So ya know, if you want those faster updates, you could answer it. ;D Anyway, the characters! What d'you think of them so far? Are they OOC, or are they too bland, or should I just keep on keeping on?


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Warning: I don't think it's that bad, but there are some parts of Namine's past that may make you uncomfortable, including mentions of incest (rumors, but still), sex, pedophilia, and violence/death (though if violence/death makes you uncomfortable, you probably shouldn't read AtGF, because it's going to get into that). Again, it isn't anything graphic by any means, but if you don't want to read about it, I can write a little summary in the A/N that will let you know what you need to, while minimizing mentions of that stuff.  
**

* * *

_Three months passed by, as Ventus and I enjoyed the warm, hazy summer days, when time seemed to drift by in a lackadaisical beauty. Life consisted of nothing but golden sunshine, azure skies, and endless grassy fields and forests. Fantasy was reality during summer, and foolishly we believed that we had found a lasting paradise. We didn't understand the concept of growing up, of receiving responsibility. What maturity we had collected over those three months never grew enough to spread into the rest of our lives. We knew how to get me food, how to keep me temporarily safe. We didn't consider what would happen when summer faded and our paradise darkened._

_Of course, it was not long before the inevitable failure of our dreams came to fruition. Everything fell apart around us, and all we could do in the end was... let go._

_My family, my tiny family, had never been welcome in the village. Mom and Dad weren't married when they arrived. My mother had been a noble woman, daughter of a duchess, and my father was a lowly servant from their household. In a whirlwind romance, portrayed all too often in penny novels and bodice-rippers, they fell in love and ran away from their lives, forsaking all honor and propriety. They were so young, heads full of fantasies and dreams, just like mine._

_When they came to the village and the residents found out about their scandal, they were shunned. Scorned. Abandoned by what little society resided in the tiny town of Branis. It only grew worse after my mother was impregnated, and reality settled in with the escaped youth. Reality was dreary._

_After the death of my mother, the villagers hissed and cackled, whispered in poorly-hushed tones that she was a harlot, a whore, a slut, and oh, she so deserved to die. My father turned to gambling and 'corrupting' the sweet village girls. He was labeled something of a vagabond, a playboy, a scoundrel. He was made a father at the young age of 17, and he never did live long enough to become too old to tempt the girls to his bed._

_I knew of those tendencies, but he could never be more than a loving father in my eyes. The villagers, sick as they were, didn't see him that way, and took him to be the wrong kind of 'loving' father. Lies were flying about how he used me as a replacement for my mother. They were disgusted by their own gossip, called him a pedophile and a pervert, spreading all sorts of rumors behind his back, staring at him as he walked by, tutting and chittering endlessly._

_The worst part of it wasn't that they believed these accusations. Dad and I knew the truth, and I knew he'd never doing anything like that to me. No, the worst part was that while they believed, no one ever tried to help me. Whether I actually needed it or not, they never tried to help._

_I thought that was the worst kind of sin._

_Due to all of this, we avoided the villagers as often as possible. So when he died, they didn't know. It took so long for them to find out. Once they did, it was awful, because once again, no one tried to help me._

_When Ventus' mother found out that he and I had been talking, she was horrified. For one day, she didn't do anything. She was trying to get over the trauma of discovering that her innocent little boy had been consorting with the dirty spawn of a whore and a perverted freak. No, it simply wasn't possible. Not _her_ son. Never _her_ son. But the truth was the truth, and within a week, Ventus and his family were gone from the village forever, no matter how hard he and I had tried to fight it._

_After that, autumn came all too quickly. My gardens withered, my food was gone. And I was alone._

_I was all alone._

_Fear made me break down, and I refused to leave my own house for the longest time. I was afraid to accept what had happened, and I was getting hungry. And then _he_ came._

_Cillan Lagston came knocking at my door with a basket of food in one hand and a golden ring in the other._

* * *

Axel paused outside the house, surveying it quickly. It was nice and neat, with a well-tended garden and dry wood everywhere. If he had to guess, he'd say this place would burn all bright and fast, probably making a lot of smoke and cracking a lot. There wasn't a stone wall, though, so the fire certainly wouldn't stay contained to the one area, which was a definite downside. He didn't like the flames spreading too much, because then people _really_started getting upset, and they'd cause some big fuss because that's just how humans were, and he didn't want to deal with it all.

He might set them on fire, too. Then they'd all just get even more upset, and it was just much more trouble than it was really worth. He'd express his affinity for fire in other, less risky ways.

Yes, indeed, he hummed to himself, grinning in response to his blond companion's arched brow as the boy waited for him to enter through the open door. Poor kid had no idea what kind of monster he was inviting into his home. No idea what would become of him, once Axel was done. Green eyes sparkled as he hopped up the two stone stairs that led to the door, and he slipped inside.

As nice as the outside was, the inside wasn't as decorated as he'd expected. The couch and chairs looked soft and comfortable, the fireplace was clean, and the floors were pretty well-swept. There were a few paintings hung on the walls, but overall, extra frills were rather sparse.

"Roxas, is that you?" Called a feminine voice from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mom. I've got a guest with me, too," the shorter male called back. He gestured for the redhead to sit down.

Axel sank into one of the chairs, fingers tapping on the velvet arms and eyes trained on the boy who was facing away from him, having a conversation with his mother, who was apparently a bit too preoccupied to come out and greet him. Ideas and speculation swirled around in his head, and he had to force his expression into something less sinister when Roxas turned around again with a tight smile.

"Namine is gathering herbs in the woods right now, but she should be back any minute now." He hesitated, then. "Would... you like something to drink?"

Axel frowned a bit, not enjoying the wait, and shook his head. "Nah."

An awkward silence fell over the both of them, and Roxas cleared his throat, obviously torn between escaping the tense situation and being a good host by sitting down with the traveler. Axel, however, seemed entirely comfortable, still absorbed in his plans for Roxas. Should he gain trust first, or begin planting seeds of doubt early on? Should he concentrate on lies, or gluttony, or should he go a more sensual route?

So many options, so much time, he happily mused, casting an appreciative glance in the boy's direction. He wouldn't mind going for the kid's body and tainting the white soul that way, certainly. Maybe then he wouldn't be giving Axel cause to hate his guts. Axel wouldn't have to remember death and screaming, blood and terrifying emptiness, every time he looked at those bright blue eyes. His darkening mood put a damper on the plan.

Well, he never had been all that fond of taking advantage of people like that anyway. For all the sins he committed, he did have a code of morals. And besides that, it just wasn't as enjoyable...

A relieved sigh caught his attention, and he snapped his eyes up as Roxas stared out the window. The blond teenager pulled open the door.

"Namine!" He greeted with a large, friendly smile. _Nearly too friendly_, Axel almost growled. "There's someone here to see you!"

A familiar blonde girl strolled into the house, a polite smile already on her face to greet her visitor, but upon the sight of the smirking redhead, she froze. Axel tried not to laugh at the nervousness she displayed.

Namine had always been very cautious around him. She saw him as unpredictable, something of a wild card, and a man who could not be trusted. He liked to pretend that this hurt his feelings, but they both knew that he found her wariness amusing, and that she was right anyway. He _couldn't_be trusted. He'd do what he wanted to do, and that usually didn't mesh well with other people's desires.

Nevertheless, his eyes glinted as he nodded to her.

"Namine, we've gotta talk. In private."

Roxas frowned, picking up on the vibes and growing concerned for his friend, and he put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Nam, if this guy is bad, you don't need to worry here. We can protect you. You don't have to go with him." Namine forced a reassuring smile on her face.

"It's fine, Roxas. I know he wouldn't hurt me. I'm just surprised to see him, that's all." She swept back into the front yard, followed closely by Axel, and made sure that no one was around to hear them before turning back to the waiting immortal. "What do you need?"

"Gettin' awfully close to Roxy, don't you think?" Axel drawled lowly. Namine blushed a bit.

"It's part of my job. He needs to trust me."

"That ain't the only thing he's feeling toward you. Little heartbreaker, aren't ya?" Namine grimaced at the redhead's words.

"I can't help that he's got a crush. It just kind of happened. But that's really not important right now. What are you here for?"

Axel snorted. "I think it's damn important. If you start letting your feelings get in the way of your mission, it's my business, got it? Don't get attached to him. Mortals are so temporary, anyway."

Namine cast her eyes off to the side. "I'm not getting attached. Please, why are you here?"

Axel paused for a few seconds, then decided to let up on her, just a bit. "Boss wants you back at the city. He's got some kind of task for you that he wants to explain in person. Don't worry about saying bye to the little mortal family, though. As soon as you've been informed, you're coming right back here, apparently."

Namine hummed thoughtfully. "Axel... you'll have to stay, then, until I return. I'm sure that's why I didn't receive a normal summons."

The redhead tensed. He'd been having a nice time considering all the ways he could corrupt Roxas, but the knowledge that he was expected to watch the kid anyway put a less pleasant spin on the entire situation. He almost seemed to wilt in the light of the setting sun, but made a lazy, 'yeah, yeah' noise and wandered back to the house with Namine trailing behind him. She seemed a bit regretful that she'd put him in a bad mood, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

When they entered the living room, both were smiling as though they weren't bothered at all, and were met with the sight of Roxas fidgeting away on the couch. The blond boy jerked his eyes up to make sure Namine was alright, and she giggled at his concern.

"Relax, Roxas. He's a good guy. He came with news about my hometown, and I have to return there for a little bit. It shouldn't be very long, but I'll have to leave tomorrow morning. Lea's going to stay behind for a little while," Namine informed, subtly making sure that Lea was the name being used. At the lack of reaction from Roxas, she guessed that she had chosen correctly. The mortal frowned a bit, glancing at Axel.

Smoothly, the redhead lied. "I'm actually a journalist for my local paper, and I've been working on a piece about small towns and what gives them their charm, all that. It seems like Destiny would be a good place to include."

He had created an excellent cover, he decided with a smirk, as Roxas' eyes lit up in interest, all guards falling immediately. "You're a journalist? Really? Where else have you been?"

"Here and there. Mostly the other side of the island, but I've been to some other countries."

"Which one do you like most?"

"Hm... I guess Agrabah."

"Where's that?"

Axel arched a brow at Roxas' genuine fascination and questions, but he figured he may as well placate the boy. "It's far west from here, and to the south. Agrabah is entirely desert, and it's always burning hot during the day and cooler at night. You can look in all directions once you're out of the cities and towns, and you see nothing but golden sand dunes. They're all very into the supernatural, too. That whole genie-in-a-lamp thing is real big over there."

"And the people? What are they like?"

"Nice, I guess? I mean, half the street vendors will say anything to get your money, so you have to be careful what you buy, and there are a few thieves running around each city, but most of them are pretty decent," Axel shrugged, cutting Roxas off before the blond could ask another question, by stretching out and stating, "Anyway, I gotta go set up camp. I'll see ya later, Roxy."

"Roxy?" The teenager repeated incredulously.

"Yup."

"No."

"Bye, kid." Axel strolled carelessly out the door, shutting it behind him before facing the darkening road. His horse was safely tucked away at the blacksmith's stables, so all he had to worry about was himself. He would probably be fine, but he'd appreciate having a shelter of some sort, though he didn't want to stay with Roxas. It would be hard enough getting to sleep knowing that he was within a mile of one of those key-wielding murderers, let alone trying to sleep in the same house.

So he ventured down the road, heading back into town in hopes of finding a decent place to sleep. He'd seen a beach, with lots of rocks and all that, so maybe there was a cave nearby. After a few minutes, he caught sight of the cliffs, and he headed straight for them. They were interestingly shaped, making large formations all the way to their base, with narrow paths winding through the stone every so often. It was along here that Axel crept, searching for an entrance. And finally, he found one. After a quick burst of flame to get ride of any snakes or other creatures inside, he hopped in and set to work on lighting it up. If there was one thing he enjoyed about immortality and his fiery abilities, it was that no matter where he was, he could always light a fire. Even if there was nothing to burn, the fire would keep going until he told it to stop.

Very convenient, he hummed to himself, shedding his cloak as the chamber warmed up quickly. He bunched it up and used it as a pillow, turning on his side with his back to the flickering light before remembering to set up a ward over the cave entrance, just in case.

That done, he slumped down again and closed his eyes, one hand curled over his chest, where his heart was supposed to be.

It just...

It felt so empty.

* * *

The sun was setting over Holska, and Xion had perched on the fence around Widow Sterning's property, who had graciously allowed her to take refuge in her neat little cottage. The lady was a kind woman of advanced age, with hawk-like features and an air of formality. She seemed to have a soft-spot for orphans, however, as Xion had claimed to be when she discovered the strange relationship between immortals and mortals in this time period. It seemed as though the immortals didn't even exist, and the Creator had become multiple beings. But she didn't understand. He'd never had a reason to do so, and if he did, where did the immortals go?

In this time, 200 years after she'd gone to sleep, apparently, no one knew of immortals, save for the many gods that were said to exist. These were the only creatures immune to old age, she was told, but she just knew that something was very wrong with the situation. There was something major she was still missing. Some kind of key to solving the mystery, and she suspected that the answers would be with a fellow immortal.

Problem was, how was she supposed to find another? They weren't open about it, if they were still on Earth, so she'd have to go by instinct. Even that had been a failure as of late, she mourned.

Her instincts just weren't working right.

Nothing was.

She still felt empty, and she couldn't imagine what had happened to warrant all this worry.

What fate had met with her friends, her peers? Were they alive or dead? What kind of catastrophe could have wiped them off the face of the planet, or even sent them into hiding? How bad could it be?

"Xion? Supper is ready now!" Widow Sterning called sharply, striding out of her house and casting a disapproving glance at the hunched-over girl. The 'younger' smiled back at her and hopped off the fence, following the hostess inside while puzzling over where she could find another immortal, if there even was another.

All through dinner, a nice meal of rabbit and apples, she was immersed deep in thought. The widow had clearly noticed this distraction, but chose not to say anything and let the girl contemplate. Once Xion could settle her mind again, she'd be grateful for this courteous gesture. Until then, however, she tried her hardest to remember where she could find her kin.

It was only once she was tucked away on the living room floor, wrapped in soft blankets to stave off the cold night air, that she remembered. Miscassia. Oh, of course!

Miscassia was an old immortal city with a life that never even began to fade away. Carved into a mountainside in the northern regions, it was made entirely of stone and was sure to be the one place by which immortals might still linger. She couldn't imagine any other city so beloved by her people. Her eyes finally slipped shut, a content smile curled on her lips, as she began planning out her next journey in her mind.

She was _going_ to figure things out, and may the Creator help whoever was foolish enough to get in her way.

* * *

Another dagger stabbed into the tree, deeper than the others. Larxene was glaring venomously at the vegetation, gritting her teeth and clenching her fist as she hurled her last knife with such force and recklessness that it completely missed the tree and went flying off the mountainside. It would take days to try to find that again, and she knew it.

Her mood darkened further, and she growled as she stalked up to the tree, yanking her weapons out of its trunk. A soft 'tsk'ing came from her left and she tensed up, shooting a withering stare at the man nearby. He had a careless smirk on his face as he absentmindedly tugged at a few locks of his pink hair.

"Such violence, Larxene. What's got you all twisted up today?"

"Fuck off, pansy. I don't need your shit right now."

"Ouch. You've wounded me," he whined, the sarcastic tone missing from his voice. Larxene rolled her eyes, giving him another dirty look, and he sobered up. "Seriously, though. I haven't seen you this upset since... well, since the last... the last disaster." She snorted, throwing the last dagger to the ground.

"I'm so fucking sick of it! I hate being here! I hate having to wait for Kingdom Hearts to open again! How long are we supposed to put up with this? It's been _centuries_, and how much progress have we even made? How are we supposed to keep mindlessly collecting heart after heart, never knowing when to stop, when we can finally move on? I feel empty, Marluxia! I feel like there's a part of my soul missing, and I don't want to deal with it anymore! But I've already reached my heart-limit this month, so I have to sit back and hope everyone else is doing their fucking jobs! Fuck!" She screeched, lifting her leg and kicking the tree with all her strength. Already riddled with holes and scars, it groaned before tipping over, taking down a younger tree as it crashed to the ground.

Marluxia was quiet for a moment. "No one else likes it either, though. I'm sure they all do their best, too." Larxene scoffed, emanating angry vibes. The man cast a glance around, making sure no one was around before sidling up to the blonde and leaning in to put his lips by her ear. "I know what happened last time, but I think you're right. How many more hearts do we need? We must be close now, right? So... I think, maybe, we should try it again."

Larxene's eyes widened. "You mean..."

"Their population is bigger anyway. Lots of hearts, ripe for the taking," he murmured quietly. Her own whispers were tense, but hopeful.

"But the Key-wielders, Marluxia. There's at least one potential Key-wielder on our own island."

"So what? We can fight them, now. We know how. Let's try it, Larxene. I think it'll work this time."

The two were silent for a little while, drawing away until they could meet gazes, and then it happened.

Larxene's lips curled into a wicked smirk.

* * *

A/N: Not much to say this time, really. Um... as far as Roxas liking Namine, don't worry. I said it's Akuroku, and it is. I just always figured that if Axel wasn't there, Roxas would probably go for Namine. But yeah. You'll see how it goes. :) With Axel and Roxas, though, I'm trying to write them well, but it's a bit difficult, just because I want them to be kind of... naturally drawn to each other, but at the same time, Roxas knows there's something off about Axel, which gets in the way, and Axel was pretty much traumatized by the key-wielders, so like it said in the story, he sees in Roxas all of the past horrors from the slaughter. :/ Makes it hard for romance, so if you notice it getting too bad, tell me. I'm trying to ease them into comfort with each other...

Also, due to the two new reviews, I had to write an extra 600 when I wasn't planning on writing. And do you know what that turned into? Well, it went to nearly 1500 words. See what I mean? More gets done. The reason this particular chapter didn't come out early is due to the evil AP testing all this week. Sorry guys, but I've got priorities. On the bright side, the tests are all over, so if you review, the next chapter actually will come out more quickly. :D

Anyway, have a great day, hope you enjoyed, all that. :)

* * *

**The nameless entity who reviewed!** I thank you very much for the feedback! :D And as promised, I did the extra 300 words on May 2. And then some. Because it actually did get me inspired all of a sudden! Congratulations. You get an honorary cookie of wonder. It tastes like awesome. :)

**Shadowrain5: **Oh, no need to apologize, haha. I wasn't expecting another review from you, but I'm definitely delighted to get it! And I'm so glad you like it! Your kind words are very much appreciated! :) And Sephiroth? I don't know why he hasn't shown up yet, actually. He completely slipped my mind. :O But I think I found a way to fit him in, though it'll probably seem a little odd until I can fit in his story.  
Anyway, I hope your computer problems are resolved soon! They can be so frustrating. XP


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. :'(**

* * *

Chapter Seven

Two crows flew through the grey skies, cawing loudly in the otherwise silent valley. They swooped low, arched back up, and spiraled freely. In the midst of their maneuvering, a single black feather was shaken loose, and it drifted slowly through the air. It swung back and forth, spinning and trembling as it descended, and it landed in the open palm of a man before long fingers curled over it.

He stood there quietly, holding the feather and staring at the heavy clouds, identifying a blur in the patterns as rain on the mountainsides. It wouldn't be long before the water began to fall in the valley, too, and he wasn't in the mood to stand in the middle of it. He'd been on the move for what felt like years, and he was tired. He wanted warmth and rest, and a storm wasn't the way to go about getting that. This valley was known for its good weather, or it had been, a very long time ago. Many centuries... and he'd missed it. He never got to experience Miscassia in its glory days.

What he experienced was an empty valley, and forlorn ruins of a once-beautiful city. In an abandoned, lost sort of way, it was still beautiful. In death, it held a peaceful solitude, as it gave itself over to nature. The nearly-golden bricks and the clay and stucco, the carved stones and the ivory fountains, were laced in ivy and flowers, spring-green vines that stretched their leaves in the sunlight. Silver toys, once belonging to the immortal children, still glinted hopefully underneath their blankets of weeds and grass.

Heavy boots crunched small sticks underneath them as the man advanced into the ruins, dropping the feather and leaving it to rest beside a broken, rusted locket. He ducked into one of the smaller buildings, though it was in good condition when compared to the others, content to have found something with a roof. There was a fire pit inside, and a small pile of dry, old sticks and logs. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who used this house on occasion.

With a sigh, he set to work trying to light the fire, eager to chase the chill out of his bones. This area was warmer than the last place he'd been, but the impending storm took the true heat right out of the air.

As the fire flared up, he pushed his long, silver hair behind his shoulders, and pulled off his boots, discarding them in the corner. Warmth finally crept back into his bones, and he sighed in relief. His stomach was twinging a little, but he didn't want to go back out to hunt.

So instead, he took a long drink from his canteen and decided to go hunting in the morning. The game in Miscassia had always been excellent, if you could manage to find it. Everything there was quality meat, never too lean, never too fatty, and anyone who could tempt the creatures to remain calm enough would be rewarded greatly by the following meal.

Sephiroth, weary and travel-worn, went to sleep anticipating an excellent breakfast.

* * *

_Cillan Lagston was the son of a wealthy bank-owner from the city. He divided his time between Branis and his father's home. When he was young, in his teenage years, he'd married a young lady around his age, who was the daughter of a lord, and by doing so had secured her dowry and his own inheritance. They seemed happy enough together, never giving the townsfolk cause to gossip, but sometimes she'd have a few bruises that couldn't quite be covered up._

_No one ever cared enough to notice._

_On their 12th anniversary, she was picking flowers for him and took a nasty tumble. After that, she was never right in the head again, and was eventually taken to an asylum. Cillan was then considered a bachelor again. A rich bachelor. He kept the details of his life very hushed, and no one knew much about him, except that he was quite the charmer and was wonderfully charismatic._

_But then, he went and proposed to me. He didn't do it as I had expected. There was no kneeling on one knee, no opening of a little box. No, that would have been very out of place. After all, this wasn't a normal marriage proposal. Back in those days, older men marrying girls as young as I was... well, they weren't uncommon. But those sorts of relationships were most often arranged, and mutually beneficially in terms of finance or social standing._

_I was broke, with a name hated by the townsfolk and an unacceptable parentage. There could be no proper motivation for marrying me. Nevertheless, he invited himself into the house and sent one look at the couch before opting to remain standing. _

_"Namine," he said to me. "You don't have to suffer like this. Come live with me, marry me. You'll never have to worry about lack of money, lack of food, ever again. You'll be safe with me." And I declined his offer as politely as I could, but he wasn't happy about that. He tried to convince me again, and again I turned him down. At that point, I suppose his pride was wounded, he was angry, and he grabbed me. He grabbed me and threw me and-_

_The next day, I was terrified that he'd return. I was hurt, and I knew I couldn't run fast enough to get away from him even when I didn't hurt so badly. But he was sure to come back. He believed he had taken away my options, because at that point, who would take me in? Underestimating my determination saved my life._

_Even knowing that it would be difficult to really escape, I fled the house, the village. I crept through the woods, near the road leading south, and followed the road as best as I could. But I tired easily, and I was in bad shape. Hunger wracked my body, thirst sent the world spinning whenever I moved too quickly, and I realized that I was going to die if I didn't get help._

_Risking the dangers of Cillan, I crawled back to the road, settled a bit to the side, and waited. Waited for someone to come and rescue me. Of course, my luck had never been very good, and my savior came in the form of an all-too familiar banker's son._

* * *

_Lea was an enigma._

Roxas hadn't taken very long to come to such a conclusion, and the lanky redhead had done nothing but further enforce the impression. He exuded secretive vibes, probably without even realizing it. It was something in his tone, in his eyes, in the casual lilt of his voice. With every step he took, he made Roxas wonder how many other times he'd put that foot forward, how many places it had landed, how many roads it had taken the man down. This entire thing was very new to the blond, who was usually more concerned with his own affairs than anyone else's.

Then along came Axel.

Along came this darkly bright, confusing stranger. A journalist, he'd claimed.

Roxas cast a doubtful look at the oblivious redhead in front of him. Maybe there wasn't actually anything weird about the guy. Maybe it was a writer thing. He'd heard that writers could tend to be a little eccentric, a little odd. So he was probably blowing all of this out of proportion. There was a chance that really, it was a small-town background that made the blond so unsettled around people who were... different.

He frowned.

No, that couldn't be it. There was something more to it. And damned if Roxas wasn't the kind of guy to let these things go untouched. He wanted to get to the bottom of it (whatever _it_ was), and he wasn't going to be creeped out by Axel in the process.

"Ah! Is this the bloodroot?"

Roxas was shaken out of his thoughts as the exclamation punched through the silence between the two males. Axel was pointing at a small patch of white flowers, gathered in the shade of the trees. The blond stooped over and took a closer look at them, then smiled.

"Yes, I think so! Now we've just gotta bring them back to the house and the chores are done." Roxas paused, glancing at the tall redhead. "And, uh, thanks for helping out today." Axel grinned in return.

"No problem." He paused, as Roxas knelt down and began digging out the herbs. The time was right... "Hey," he casually started. "Why doesn't anyone else help with this? I mean, you've done a lot today, and you make it sound like you usually do it alone."

The blond gave his companion an odd look. "They're busy. It's not like it's really a problem."

"Well, yeah, but... Sora doesn't do anything." Axel watched carefully, trying to gauge if this held any potential of prompting a real response from the teenager. To his delight, a shadow briefly flickered over the mortal's face. Whether that had to do with the work or the brother was yet to be determined, but he waited eagerly, slapping a slightly careless look on his own face.

"Sora's building a house for Kairi. He's got his hands full."

"A house? Why?" The pause after his question gave the redhead the answer he needed. Yes, there was something with the brother, probably involving that pretty girl he'd met earlier, whose name he'd forgotten until just then.

"They're getting married soon." A slightly awkward silence fell over the two, as Roxas worked at digging out the flowers. Axel was trying to decide on his next move. He _could_ drop the subject for a little while, let the guy calm down a bit before continuing, or he could push him a little further. It might be better if he didn't wait for Roxas to collect himself again. Scatter the pieces before he could pick them up. So Axel waited a few more seconds, then spoke up again.

"You... like Kairi, don't you?"

"... I loved her," the blond muttered, hands slowing to a stop. "But it doesn't matter. She's happier with Sora. He's better for her."

"How do you know that? I bet she'd have been real happy with you, too. Maybe even more than with Sora."

"No. They're great together. Always have been. I knew they were right for each other anyway, so I shouldn't have gotten attached to her."

"You knew?"

"Everyone did. It's hard not to know when someone's in love."

"But you were. And he went ahead and took her away from you." Roxas gazed up at the prying redhead, startled that he'd said such a thing.

"He... He didn't know."

"I bet he didn't _want_ to know."

There was, once again, silence between the two. Pain had leaked into the blond's eyes, but when he looked at Axel, his stare was cold. "This isn't any of your business," he reminded quietly, standing up and holding the bloodroot close to himself. "So drop it."

Axel watched the mortal walk away, and smirked. It was all too easy. Mortals were so gullible, so quick to be manipulated. Especially ones like Roxas. But then again, Axel didn't think much about whether or not he actually knew Roxas well enough to make judgments about his character. He didn't know the blond enough to realize that he'd just pissed him off. Not enough to get yelled at, but all the same, the boy knew something was up, and he didn't like it.

Still feeling as though he'd made some small victory, oblivious to the fact that all was _not _going as planned, the redhead jogged forward to catch up with Roxas. Side by side, they headed for the house in silence. It only took ten minutes for them to get within view of the nice residence, and when they did, they found Namine waiting by the front door.

She smiled and waved, walking forward enough to meet the two males at the side of the road, and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I'm heading out now, Roxas. I guess I'll see you la..." The blonde girl trailed off, lips tugging into a frown, and she lifted her head, turning it as though she'd heard someone call her name, but no one was there. Roxas began looking, too, and Axel's eyes narrowed. He knew what just happened, but it shouldn't have been possible. He plastered a grin on his face and wrapped an arm aroound Namine's shoulders, steering her out of hearing distance as he explained to the other guy,

"Just need to borrow her for a second, Roxy!"

When the immortals were a safe distance, Axel's smile slipped right off. He turned to Namine.

"You just felt something like... like a tickle, almost. A ringing?" He tried to express what he meant, but she understood the first time and nodded her head.

"What was that?"

"It was a signal." The uncomprehending expression on her face made him roll his eyes. "Geez, kid. Immortals can send out a signal, kind of like a... psychic wave, y'know? It lets us sense others in the area."

"Oh! Who was it? Or can you not tell that?" Namine was genuinely curious, this being the first time she'd ever heard any mention of these signals. Axel frowned.

"That's the problem. I _know_ the feel of the other immortals. Hell, I even know your feel, and you've never purposely sent out a signal. But this one... I definitely don't know this one. It came from far away, though, and feels sorta weak. Whoever it was doesn't know we're here." Axel paused, noticing the confusion on his companion's face. "Fuck, kid, ask someone else, alright? I don't have the time to explain everything to you. Just don't tell anyone, got it? I wanna figure it out."

Namine chewed her lip, but nodded in consent. "Fine. But if someone asks where you are, I'm not lying."

"Yeah, whatever. Just get to Xemnas. You know he doesn't like waiting for you."

The two walked back to the increasingly-suspicious mortal, and Namine gave him a quick hug goodbye. "I'll miss you, Roxas. I might be returning, but if I don't, I really do appreciate everything you've done for me. Thank you."

Roxas shook his head. "It was no problem. You're welcome back any time, Nam." She smiled at him and leaned in, whispering in his ear,

"Be careful."

Careful? He wondered. Careful of what? But Namine was already strolling away, humming a tune, and he knew she wanted to get going without any more delays. He still wondered, of course, but decided to think more on it later as the redhead beside him started getting antsy.

"C'mon, Roxy, the bugs are biting. I'm too sweet for my own good."

Roxas snorted, rolling his eyes and heading for the front door. "Wouldn't want your delicate skin to come to any harm," he drawled, and Axel responded by pinching him casually. The blond slapped his hand away. "And how much longer do you plan to stay, Lea?"

The immortal paused, then answered, "Actually, I'm probably leavin' tomorrow." There was another pause. "I'm headed to another continent, y'know... and I wouldn't be opposed to company." Surely the temptation was too great to resist. An opportunity to see the world... the blond had to accept. He _had_ to. Because Axel refused to stay in this damn town just to keep an eye on some key-brat.

"Hell no."

This was going to be a problem.

* * *

Xion hummed an old tune to herself as she strolled west, eyes closed and mind wrapped in memories of red chiffon and sophisticated laughs, gentle hands and swirling skirts, deep velvet voices and the soft clicks of shoes on marble. So many years ago, she'd danced with her brethren and her mortal friends, to violins and prancing duets. So many years ago...

For the briefest moment, a dark shadow passed over her heart, but she shook it off and hummed louder, spinning as she went. A sweet aroma had begun to cling to her, from the basket of food so kindly donated by Widow Sterning before her departure that morning. The woman didn't deign to give her approval of this journey, but she did what she could to help ensure easier travels by stuffing the basket full of breads and a canteen (apparently it once belonged to her husband, who'd been in the military) full of wine.

Xion had to giggle at the thought of the wine, sitting innocently beside buns and rolls. She'd never been able to hold her alcohol very well, or so her peers had told her, and that she was given the drink instead of water... well, who was she to pass up such a kind gift?

Of course, she knew she should wait until she could arrive in Miscassia. Then, if everything went as expected, she could share the wine. Drinking alone was never so much fun as sharing with other people. And surely there would be other people, as she'd sent out a mind-signal that morning. Having not used one for centuries, she wasn't able to sense anyone else, but someone who'd actually been awake for all that time would've had better range, and they might have sensed her. They might be waiting for her.

A sigh left her feeling happy and content as she walked down the road as normal, and she yawned a little. Although she knew that she needed rest the night before a trip like this one, she had just been so excited that she'd stayed up all night thinking about who might still be in the great city, and who might remember her. Even in an clearly troubled time for the immortals, they'd never have abandoned their city. It was a reminder of their spirits, the center of their society. Every pure immortal was brought to Miscassia to be raised in a balanced, secure, fun home, within weeks of their birth.

That's just how it was. How it always was. Of all traditions to do away with, it couldn't be that one.

Miscassia was the heart of immortal society.

The girl tried not to dwell too much on her favorite place, worried that in the midst of all the change over the years, the city itself may very well have also changed. It wouldn't be so far-fetched, after all, and she could hardly expect it to be exactly as she remembered.

She'd still hope, of course, but reality was something she had learned to value, and she wouldn't try to ignore it now, when it was so important. She'd fallen very far behind, and could only learn so much from a mortal. Her only way to get more information was to find another immortal, and after all, they weren't so common anymore. A quick thought jumped through her mind, difficult to ignore.

Who were these new gods? Where had they come from, and where was the Creator? Where was their father? She cast her gaze off to the side, trying not to worry too much. Answers wouldn't be gained by doing so. Patience would be key in this situation.

Clueless as to what she could do to keep her mind off her current goal, she chewed her lips and broke into a light jog. If she hurried, she could get there in three days, which was plenty quick enough for her. Or maybe not. But if she told herself that she could do it, then she could.

So she stared up into the sky, and tried to open her mind. Soon enough, the white puffs had begun to form shapes of their own. There were bunnies and skulls and cottages, and once there was a gun-toting princess with a very puffy dress. The large masses shifted and swirled slowly in the wide blue skies, constantly changing shapes and making it a bit more challenging to decide on what it looked like before it moved on to the next form.

It wasn't long before Xion groaned and cast her eyes down again. She was a horrible traveler. Silence and contemplation were all very good and well for the first few hours, but it had never taken long for her to get bored. It was impractical to make her travel without at least one companion, as she'd inevitably get side-tracked or restless, which sometimes led to her abandoning her purpose entirely.

This time, though, she'd have to suck it up, for three days. Three days of jogging and cloud-watching, and the stumbles that resulted.

Three days, and she'd be home.

* * *

Larxene was crouched in a secluded patch of grass, scraggly and pathetic grass that was just barely managing to survive on the mountainside. She was well-hidden by evergreens and thorns, encased in the slight shade from their arching coverage. It was cool enough that day to wear her cloak without breaking a sweat, thankfully, which put her in a much better mood. Not only that, but storms had been breaking out all over the world, without her even trying. The electricity in the air tempted a smile onto her face.

She wiggled her finger, and the little shadow in front of her wavered, antennae twitching as it hopped around. Yellow eyes never blinked, never moved, giving the thing a strange sort of appearance. This little creature... it had shown up when she played with her victim too long earlier that day. She hadn't known what it was, and was prepared to kill it, when it snatched the victim's heart stone.

Deep in her gut, she just _knew_ that it had gone straight to Kingdom Hearts. A sharp grin spread across her lips, and she delighted in this discovery.

A twig behind her snapped, and she whirled around. Alarm had shot through her at the sound, and she was tensed, fingers already brushing against her daggers. She relaxed as soon as she saw that it was just Marluxia, holding his hands up in a gesture of innocence.

"Calm down, Larx," he laughed.

She sneered at him, but let go of her weapons. "Whatever. If you had been someone else, they might've gotten suspicious. It's not like I'm usually out admiring the fucking scenery." Marluxia frowned. She did, after all, have a point.

"That's true. And if someone comes while we're talking... they might overhear some of it. You _know_ Xemnas would find a way to keep us from doing this. Maybe he can't kill us, but we can't grow back arms and legs... or heads." The two immortals were quiet for a few moments, a dark aura hanging heavily over them as they imagined the wide range of possibilities, and all the horrible consequences of getting caught. Finally, Larxene shuddered.

"We need to find a place to meet up, where we won't be followed or found."

"A place that's out of the way..."

"No one goes to it anymore..."

Marluxia dropped onto the ground, sitting down and trying to think of a place to go. His eyes drifted all around the clearing, then landed on the little yellow-eyed shadow. For a little while, he was silent. Watching the creature was enough. But as it fidgeted and flickered, his confusion kept growing. What was that thing? Could Larxene see it too? Uncertain, he glanced up at the blonde, whose eyes were slowly following the thing.

So at least it wasn't just his imagination.

As though she felt his eyes on her, she frowned in annoyance and shifted her gaze to him. He gestured wordlessly at the small shadow, and she smirked. "I don't know exactly what that thing is, but it showed up when I was doing some... extra work. It took the heart stone and I just _know_ it got contributed to the Kingdom Hearts collection, with all the other stones we've disposed of. I've been trying to figure out how much we can control them, and if we can make more. I haven't managed it yet, but I bet it's possible."

Marluxia was staring in fascination at the thing. "We could make an army. An entire army, I bet, just to take hearts. Think how quickly we could get Kingdom Hearts open!"

"And if we did, there's no way we'd get punished for it, either. They'll all be too thankful. They don't want to be in the hell any more than I do. Than we do. We'll be... nearly worshiped."

Marluxia nodded in agreement. The two of them stayed in the clearing for another hour, in a strangely companionable silence. They didn't normally get along, but having a common cause, a secret known only by each other, had united them, in a way. They felt more comfortable than they used to, and although they weren't friends, and probably wouldn't ever be friends, they were closer to it than ever before. So they'd sit, or stand, or whatever they wanted, and they'd meet up in private as often as they could, and they would bring about the revival of Kingdom Hearts.

Together, they'd be fucking heroes.

* * *

A/N: Um... was that two weeks? I think that was two weeks. Whoops. :/ Sorry guys. In my defense, though, most of the second week consisted of an epic battle between human and computer. Luckily, I have prevailed, and here's the chapter! :D

Fun Fact: In the middle of writing this, some crazy chick freaked out at me because I had said that a first kiss is just a kiss (the forum was discussing kids getting made fun of for not having their first kiss yet), and it shouldn't be such a big deal. Apparently, that equates to saying that kissing leads to sex and it's okay to have sex whenever you feel like it, which clearly leads to STDs, pregnancy, and as "logic" would dictate, alcoholism and drug problems... BAHAHAHA! Oh, she gave me a laugh. XD Had to share that.

Anyway, I've got a question for you all, which might hurry along the arrival of chapter 8. Should I keep the segments of Larxene and Marluxia? On one hand, they might be interesting. On the other hand, it can sometimes be better not to know what the antagonists are doing... so weigh in! You still get the extra 300 words!

And real quick: I'm taking a break until I've got my new one-shot written and posted. So it's not gonna be a week until the next update.

So I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please feel free to review, and have an awesome day! Try not to get any STDs, okay? That kissing is a dangerous thing. ;)


	8. Interlude

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, and whatnot. :P

Quick note: This is going to happen a bit differently, as the chapter title would indicate. The full note is after Namine's story (since I'm not supposed to post a chapter that's nothing but note), so enjoy. But please do read the note at the end, because it's important.

* * *

For only a few days, I had been away from Branis. Away from that cursed village. But of course, when I was weak and alone, hoping for rescue, the one to come to my aid was the same man I'd been running away from.

Cillan found me, and he tried to bring me back with him. I fought as best as I could, struggling and punching, but I didn't have the strength to fend him off, and he didn't want to miss out on the opportunity he saw. A 12 year old, uncared for by the rest of the world, in need of help? Perfect for him. Terrible for me.

After all, everyone in town would just think that he's so generous. What a nice man, isn't he? Looking after that poor girl? That poor, useless girl... and of course, they'd then fall back into gossiping about my parents and how I must be guilty by association.

Not once did I ever regret getting away from that horrible town. But as I was being dragged back, all I could hope was that I'd be given the chance to regret getting away.

Then, before he could take me back, something happened. Something wonderful, I thought.

A boy wandered out from the trees, paused, and, in one swift move, knocked Cillan out with his book.

I was worried for a few moments. Frightened that this stranger would try to hurt me, too, but it didn't happen. Instead, he knelt beside me, as I'd fallen to the ground and scrambled backwards a few paces, and he just stared at me.

His eyes... they were entirely emotionless.

But his actions were kind enough, and I tried to ignore that icy gaze.

He held out his hand and helped me up, introducing himself as Ienzo. I thanked him, through a few sobs, and introduced myself in turn. We sat in the grass, staring at Cillan and talking a little bit about unimportant things. I could tell he was getting impatient, but I wasn't sure what to do. I tried to tell him he could go on his way, that I was alright, but he gave me a look that made me think he knew that wasn't true.

He pulled food and water from his pack and let me start getting my strength back.

Agitation was clear in his tone, and he obviously didn't really care much about me, but he muttered something about an irritating cousin, and how he'd like to stall for a while longer.

Help was help, and I needed anything I could get. So I told him my story, and he seemed bored, but he offered to let me travel with him until we could find a place for me to stay.

My home came in the form of a small seaside shack. It was tucked away by an opening in the rocky coastal cliffs by Twilight Town. Seclusion was the biggest problem, and the biggest blessing. I soon learned to survive on my own, to catch fish and garden and make it through the winter. I managed to sew and recycle my clothes, though as I grew, I never really got more material, so I had to stop by the town and try to get my supplies better.

Sometimes, though, I had help.

Ienzo dropped by once in a while, just to say hi. He was cold, and he wasn't the nicest boy I had ever met, but he had saved me and I'd never forget that.

It's difficult to explain now... how it happened.

How we fell in love.

But we did, somehow, and I'll always remember what tore us apart._  
_

_"Namine... what would you say if I told you that we could be together, suspended in youth, forever?"_

_"Why would you tell me that?"_

_"What would you say?"_

_"I'd say... forget happy endings. A happy eternity would be so much better."_

_"I love you, Namine."_

_"I love you, too..."_

She had been so wrong. One day... he kissed her, and she felt cold.

When he explained what he had done, she was understandably upset. She couldn't comprehend why he thought it was okay to do this to her, but nevertheless, what was done... was done. The group he worked with discovered her existence, and they got together a good set-up.

She didn't want to be involved in their methods, so she would simply run errands for them. So they said. But she quickly realized she was more a slave to them than anything, and isolation took its toll as she grew apart from Zexion. On the rare occasions she got to meet with people, she found herself behaving simultaneously sweet and blunt, at least when she needed to be blunt.

And then one day, she was on her way to meet Demyx at Midgar, when she ran into a blond boy...

* * *

A/N: I'm really, really sorry about the wait. I've got excuses, but they really don't matter. Anyway, I am changing the set-up of the story. I probably won't be going back to change anything, but the next chapter is going to be a little different in its organization. To get done what I need to get done, however, I'll have to take some time. So I ask you to wait a bit longer. :/

But I am actively working on the story, now, so have no fear! New chapters will eventually be here! :P

In other news, I'm not going to bug you guys anymore about reviewing. I don't think it really has any effect. :/ But the 300-word incentive (if you can call it that) is still going on, and something new is in the works.

I'm thinking that, perhaps... I'll pick a random number, higher than however many reviews I have at the time, and whoever hits that number with their review (like the eleventh reviewer, or something) will get some sort of prize... I think for the first one, I'd just ask what you want. It can have to do with the story, like you get to make some decision, or you get to choose a character to have added. Or a special bonus chapter, or a quirk you absolutely love that you want me to put in...

Get the picture? :)

So there it is. I've got a number in mind, so... if you're up for it. *shrug* No pressure. :)


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